Despite another year of pandemic challenges, the Ocean Cruising Club Awards Subcommittee has found numerous achievements to recognise in the cruising world.
Nominations are made by Full Members of the OCC, winners are selected by a highly experienced team of bluewater cruisers, and selections are approved by the OCC General Committee.
The OCC Lifetime Cruising Award 2021 is presented posthumously to James Wharram (deceased 14th Dec. 2021 aged 93). James Wharram, considered by many as the father of modern multihull cruising, was a free-spirited sailor and designer who specialised in double-canoe style sailing catamarans, inspired by the Polynesian double canoe. Wharram's Irish connections were reported by Afloat last month here.
The OCC announced that Dustin Reynolds is this year’s recipient of the Club’s premier award, The OCC Barton Cup, which salutes an exceptional or challenging voyage or series of voyages. A double amputee following a motorcycle accident in 2008, six years later Dustin left Hawaii aboard his 35ft Alberg sloop, Tiama. By 2018 he had reached South Africa and has now completed his circumnavigation via the Panama Canal, not to mention a side-trip to Antarctica aboard a friend’s 38 footer. The journey took Dustin 7.5 years, starting and ending in Kona HI.
With little experience and little to no money he found a way to pursue his dream. It should be pointed out that Dustin’s boat is extremely low-tech, with no electric winches or other gismos to make his sailing easier. In fact, prior to the Royal Cape Yacht Club presenting him with a self-tailing winch in early 2019, he lacked even this basic piece of kit. Dustin was a recipient of the OCC Challenge Grant and in 2018 was recognised with the OCC Seamanship Award.
The OCC Seamanship Award goes to George Arnison s/v Good Report and Duncan Lougee s/v Minke in recognition of their outstanding seamanship during their first ocean passage in the 2021 Jester Azores Challenge.
Full list of all the 2021 Awards here
