Cruising Club of America celebrate 2015 award winners at annual dinner

by Jan Harley on 25 Mar 2016 From across the globe, members of the Cruising Club of America (CCA) assembled at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan to recognize their outstanding sailors of 2015 during the international organization’s Annual Awards Dinner on March 4, 2016.

Representing a broad array of sailing achievements, the recipients of the 2015 Blue Water Medal and the Blue Water Medal “Without Date,” Far Horizons Award, Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship and the Richard S. Nye Trophy were celebrated for their accomplishments.

2015 Blue Water Medal and Blue Water Medal “Without Date”

The Cruising Club of America presented British sailors Tom and Vicky Jackson its 2015 Blue Water Medal, established in 1923 to recognize examples of meritorious seamanship and adventure upon the seas. For more about the Jacksons extensive racing and cruising, over more than 34 years aboard their 40’ Sparkman and Stephens-designed Sunstone, please click here.

The Cruising Club of America presented Jon Sanders of Perth, Australia, its Blue Water Medal “Without Date.” The medal recognizes examples of meritorious seamanship and adventure upon the seas and has only been awarded seven times to recognize a variety of achievements. Sanders has made nine circumnavigations – eight of them solo, including a single “three times around” voyage, and one crewed – and has made a lifetime of significant contributions to sailing. For more on Jon Sanders, please click here.

Far Horizons Award

The 2015 Far Horizons Award was presented to Kaspar and Trisha Schibli, of Victoria, British Columbia, in recognition of their extensive offshore cruising, especially their current multi-ocean cruise. For more on the Schiblis, please click here.

Richard S. Nye Trophy

The 2015 Richard S. Nye Trophy was presented to John E. Sanford of Tiburon, Calif., for meritorious service to the CCA and the San Francisco Station over a period of 34 years. For more on Sanford’s contributions to the CCA, please click here.

Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship

The 2015 Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship was presented to Canadian cruisers George Juri and Grit Chiu for their lifesaving rescue in critical conditions of a man found floating offshore who had been in the water for four days following the sinking of a work barge off Phuket. For more on Juri and Chiu’s rescue, please click here.