
Black Pearls
We at Cruising World have long known that we are fortunate to have some extremely talented people contribute to our magazine—from cruising sailors, to professional journalists and electronics and mechanical gurus. Last Friday during the Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail, Boating Writers International recognized top marine journalists from the U.S. and beyond in their annual writing contest.
In its 19th year, the B.W.I. contest attracted 113 participants submitting 301 entries. In addition to first-, second-, and third-place awards, certificates of merit were presented to writers of another 34 articles which scored within 95 percent of third-place tallies in each category. All submissions to the contest were published in 2011. Four active journalists judged each of the categories in the first few weeks of 2012.
Cruising World editors and contributors picked up 14 awards in eight categories and five certificates of merit. Congrats to the winners!
Now sit back and enjoy the stories:
Boating Columns
1st Place – “On Watch” by Cap’n Fatty Goodlander
2nd Place – “Off Watch: Osprey’s Flight” by Wendy Mitman Clarke
Boating Lifestyles
1st Place – “Black Pearls, Reef Sharks, and Ancient Ghosts” by Antonia Murphy
2nd Place – “Around the World by Thumb” by Clive Webber
3rd Place – “From the White-Knuckler Files” by Elaine Lembo
Boating Profiles
2nd Place – “Full Noise, or No Noise” by Herb McCormick
Boating Travel or Destinations
2nd Place – “In Darwin’s Wake” by Herb McCormick
3rd Place – “Society Islands Sojourn” by Tim Murphy
Certificate of Merit – “Diamond in the Rough” by Wendy Mitman Clarke
Boating Adventures
1st Place – “The Voyage in Between” by Cap’n Fatty Goodlander
3rd Place – “From Penguins to Palm Trees” by Beth Leonard
Boat/Engine Care and Maintenance
1st Place – “Turning Heads” by Jen Brett
Certificate of Merit – “The Unprotected Saildrive” by Ed Sherman
Ethics and Environment
Certificate of Merit- “Phasing Out Copper Bottom Paint” by Jim Carrier
Seamanship, Rescue, and Safety
2nd Place – “Stack the Deck to Survive” by Beth Leonard
Certificate of Merit – “When the Stick Comes Down” by Patrick Childress
Technical Writing
1st Place – “Broadband Affordability” by Gram Schweikert
2nd Place – “Onboard Entertainment: The Digital Files Converge” by Ben Ellison
Boat Tests
Certificate of Merit – “Catalina 355: Thoughtful Design” by Tim Murphy