Adobe StockFor decades, the Cruising Club of America has recognized significant cruising accomplishments with its annual awards program. The club recently announced the recipients for 2023. This year, for the first time, three of the six honorees are women.
Blue Water Medal: Kenichi Horie took this award for a lifetime of ocean crossing achievements. Horie, 83, is Japan’s most renowned ocean sailor.
Young Voyager Award: Cal Currier, a high-school student from California, learned to sail, bought and prepared a 30-foot sloop and made a solo voyage from Massachusetts to Portugal in the span of a single year.
Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy: Kirsten Neuschäfer of South Africa received this award for her vital role in the sea rescue of a fellow competitor in the 2022 Golden Globe Race
Diana Russel Award: Mary Crowley was honored for her innovative contributions to sailing design, education, training, methodology and safety as a lifelong sailor and founder of the Ocean Voyages Institute.
Richard S. Nye Award: This award recognizes the service of Barbara Watson to the Cruising Club of America, where she has held the high-ranking roles of station Rear Commodore and historian, among others.
Far Horizons Award: David Tunick was recognized for two transatlantic solo passages aboard his 55-foot Sparkman & Stephens yawl, Night Watch. The two passages were more than 20 years apart. —Lidia Goldberg
This article was originally published in the March 2023 issue.
