Published on: 17 March 2022
Winners of the British Marine & Boating Business Awards 2022 revealed
Celebrating the achievements of marine businesses and professionals from across the UK
As part of the inaugural British Marine Conference, marine businesses and professionals from across the UK were celebrated at the British Marine & Boating Business Awards.
The lucky winners were shortlisted from a host of nominations which were judged by a panel of leading experts with a wealth of experience in their industry, before being invited to the awards ceremony to be crowned champion and to be presented their award by former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls.
The first award of the evening was the British Marine Media Innovation Award. This award sought to recognise outstanding work or an accomplishment in the field of professional marine media. Covering all forms of media, whether published in print, digital format or by means of a social media platform.
The only awarded voted for by the British Marine Membership was presented to Helen Davison on behalf of the Berthon marketing team who put together a fantastic video series ‘the BRYNHILDE Restoration project’, which captured the extensive refit and restoration of a 1958 10m Wooden Bermudian Sloop, designed by Fred Parker. Not only was this an incredible restoration project, but it also highlighted the fascinating backstory of how the history of Moody Decking, Fred Parker and Berthon are intertwined.
“This is all down to team. Not just my department but a testament to everyone involved, passing down their skills, sharing their stories and being able to film it. A real full circle marine industry story”, commented Helen.
Up next was the British Marine Rising Star Award recognising newcomers in the industry who have spotted an opportunity, successfully made it happen while making a substantial difference to the environment the nominee and their colleagues operate in.
This award was presented to Simon Uphill from Oyster Yachts Limited for developing a number of electrical systems for Oyster’s new range of yachts, the most recent being Oyster’s 595 launched in 2021 and 495 that will be launched in April 2022. Notably, Simon developed ‘Guardian Angel’, which is an in-vessel monitoring system for owners, which provides real-time updates anywhere in the world on critical systems within the yacht.
Commenting on his award Simon said: “It’s a real honour to win this award and be named alongside some of the most prominent names and businesses in the industry. It’s a real pleasure to work for a company like Oyster, constantly pushing boundaries on innovation and sustainability and ultimately the efficiencies in boat building. I’m very proud to be part of it and it is lovely to get this recognition. It really is completely out of the blue.”
The evening also marked the first ever British Marine Lifetime Honorary Membership awards recognising those individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to the service of British Marine. The recipients were Alan Morgan, David Pougher, Peter Nicholson, David Barrow and the late David Coleman.
“This is certainly an honour, and I was surprised to receive it”, commented David Pougher of his award. “It is good to see all the awards being presented, acknowledging the free time and work that people put into a member owned organisation. It is brilliant to have the British Marine team running our membership organisation, alongside so many members who are willing to give their time and knowledge.”
The evening didn’t end there with four further awards presented by Boating Business.
- The Boating Business Scott Deverell Young Businessperson of the Year – recognising someone who has made a substantial difference to their business over the last year – presented to Luke Morrison, Rooster Sailing.
- The Boating Business Sustainability Award – presented to a company that has demonstrated outstanding focus in its environmental and sustainability efforts -with the award going to Ortomarine.
- The Boating Businesswoman of The Year Award – this accolade recognises a woman who has made a significant contribution to the marine industry over the last year – presented to Pip Woods, Rockley.
- The Boating Business Lifetime Achievement Award – presented to an individual operating within the Marine trade sector, who throughout their career has shown outstanding work and focus – awarded to Dale Emery, Clamcleats.
“I would like to personally congratulate all of the award winners”, commented Lesley Robinson, CEO British Marine. “The breadth of talent and the level of dedication that exists within the marine industry is quite phenomenal and it is important that we recognise this.
“The awards go some way in showcasing these exceptional individuals and to express our thanks for all they bring to the sector and the organisations they work for.
“I would also like to thank Ed Balls for presenting our awards this evening”, Lesley concluded.
