5:36 AM Thu 15 Jan 2009 GMT
The Cruising Club of America has selected John H. Harries and Phyllis Nickel to receive its prestigious 2008 Far Horizons Award for their extensive cruising and voyaging, and some racing in Morgan's Cloud, a custom 56' McCurdy Rhodes cutter. Since purchasing the boat in 1991, they lived aboard since 1996 and have sailed about 100,000 miles. The award was presented at the club's annual Awards Dinner in New York on January 13, 2009 by CCA Commodore Ross Sherbrooke, of Boston, Mass.
Morgan's Cloud has twice circumnavigated Newfoundland, and cruised to Labrador. She has been to Greenland four times and twice departed Greenland to cross the Atlantic via Iceland.
In 2001, after wintering aboard in London, Harries and Nickel cruised the East coast of England and then passaged to Norway to spend the winter aboard in Tromso, 300 miles above the Arctic Circle. In 2002 they cruised the North coast of Norway gathering information for their online Norwegian Cruising Guide. At the Russian border they departed for Svalbard and spent six weeks exploring. That fall they returned to Tromso to winter over for a second time.
In 2003, they passaged from Norway to Greenland via the Shetlands and the North coast of Iceland. In 2005, they circumnavigated Newfoundland and returned to Maine to complete a major refit of Morgan's Cloud. Late this fall they left Stonington, Maine bound for the Bahamas, and plan to return to Greenland in 2009.
For more information on their voyages, visit their web site www.morganscloud.com.
In addition to presenting its Far Horizons Award, the CCA also presented the following 2008 citations:
The Blue Water Medal is awarded to William S. Piper III, M.D., for 12 years of cruising and voyaging in two boats, Pipe Dream VI, a J-40, and Pipe Dream IX, a 52' J-160 ( aboard which he has logged over 132,000 miles) for a total of over 180,000 miles. His routes have included high latitude crossings of the North Pacific and Southern Oceans, as well as rounding Cape Horn, the Cape of Good Hope, and Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia. As an orthopedic surgeon he has performed numerous emergency procedures during his voyaging around the World.
The Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship is awarded to Susanne Huber-Curphey and Tony Curphey for their joint seamanship in saving Galenaia in the Tasman Sea. The couple, sailing solo on their own boats (Tony in Galenaia and Susanne in So Long) on a passage from West Australia to Fiji, they encountered severe weather until, 29 days out, Galenaia's rudder and skeg broke. Susanne and So Long sailed back 150 miles, found her husband and his damaged and leaking boat, and in heavy seas took them in tow. For eight days and 650 miles they were separated by 80 meters of tow line. On April 5th they arrived safely at Port Nelson, South Island, New Zealand.
The Charles H. Vilas Literary Prize is awarded to Skip Novak for the story of his voyage in 2008 submitted to the 2009 Cruising Club News, 'Witness to Change.' Skip hosted a National Geographic film crew aboard his specially fitted out boat Pelagic Australis in January 2008 as they documented the changes that global warming has brought to the Antarctic Peninsula. He drew upon his 20 years of Antarctic voyaging to complete the expedition with exemplary seamanship and with a keen eye and appreciation for this harsh yet fragile area. Skip Novak's story and his voyage provide great reading and help raise awareness of changes in the sailor's environment.
The Richard S. Nye Trophy is awarded to Ronald C. Trossbach for bringing distinction to The Cruising Club of America by meritorious service, able seamanship, outstanding performance in long range cruising, and his statesmanship in the affairs of international yachting with his long term and ongoing contributions to Safety at Sea programs and seminars.
The Royal Cruising Club Trophy is awarded to Robert A. Van Blaricom for his trip from San Francisco to Prince William Sound in Alaska in his 32' sloop Misty, a cruise of some 2,000 miles. His story in the 2009 Cruising Club News, 'Voyage to the Hall of the Mountain King' is most interesting and a helpful reference for others planning a trip to Alaska.
About the Cruising Club of America
The Cruising Club of America is dedicated to offshore cruising, voyaging and the 'adventurous use of the sea' through efforts to improve seamanship, the design of seaworthy yachts, safe yachting procedures and environmental awareness. Now in its 88th year, the club has 10 stations throughout the U.S., Canada and Bermuda, with approximately 1200 members who are qualified by their experience in offshore passage making. In even-numbered years, the CCA organizes the Newport to Bermuda Race in conjunction with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. It also sponsors several Safety at Sea seminars and hosts a series of 'Suddenly Alone' seminars for the cruising couple.
www.cruisingclub.org.
by Media Pro Int'l
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