Published on: 08 December 2021
Congratulations to all winners and nominees; as well as British Marine members Lymington Berthon, winners of Marina of the Year, Disabled Sailors Association ltd, winners of Charity of the Year, ePropulsion UK, winners of Equipment Innovation of the Year, and Southampton International Boat Show for their nomination under Event of the Year.
The winners of the British Yachting Awards were announced during a celebratory evening held at the Royal Thames Yacht Club on 30 November, which drew together many notable figures from the racing and cruising worlds.
The awards, organised by Sailing Today with Yachts and Yachting magazine, are an opportunity for the readership to vote and give their verdict on some of the incredible talents within the sailing world. It was also a chance to celebrate the finest new yachts, kit innovations, destinations and much more.
The champagne flowed as the winners were announced, confirming not only what a year this has been for sailing, but also what a diverse and fascinating sport this remains.
Guest speaker was Ian Walker, who after a decorated career as an Olympian, coach and skipper in the America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race, is now the Royal Yachting Association’s Director of Racing.
Rob Peake, Chelsea Magazines marine group editor, said: “The British Yachting Awards celebrates the best of the cruising and racing worlds over the past 12 months and there was plenty to celebrate, after one of the most incredible years for the industry and for sailing in general. Our readers decide the winners and it is great to be able to present trophies to amateur and youth sailors, as well as the biggest professional names in the sport.”
Notable winners included the remarkable Katie McCabe, who scooped the Youth Sailor of the Year accolade, which was run in association with BoatLife Live.
Elsewhere, octogenarian Murdoch McGregor beat some of the biggest names in sailing to win Sailor of the Year – an award run in association with Pantaenius Sail and Motor Yacht Insurance. McGregor, aged 82, attended the event and told the audience of his solo voyage round Britain earlier this year.
Vendée Globe star Pip Hare was a deserving winner of the Outstanding Achievement of the Year trophy, given her performance in the race, which was a winner in its own right in the Event of the Year category, in association with GAC Pindar.
Each winner received a unique trophy made for the ceremony by the historic chandler Davey & Co.
When it came to yachts and kit, there were worthy winners all round; the exciting Pogo 44 won the Performance Yacht of the Year while the coveted Cruising Yacht of the Year was a tie between the Dufour 470 and Jeanneau 60.
There were also wins for the Lagoon 55 catamaran and Discovery 48.
In the kit section, Musto‘s FlexLite Vapour range won through, as did ePropulsion‘s Spirit 1.0 Evo electric outboard.
The awards finished with a Lifetime Achievement award for Sir Chay Blyth, 50 years on from his pioneering solo voyage around the world, against the winds and currents. Sir Chay was there with Lady Felicity Blyth to receive the award.
For more information on all the categories, contenders, and of course the winners, visit the British Yachting Awards website and see the February 2022 issue of the magazine, published in the New Year.
The event was live streamed on the Facebook page of Yachts & Yachting magazine and remains available for viewing.