Cruising Club of America announces yachting honors

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Renowned navigator Stan Honey, young skippers Ellen and Seth Leonard, and a family of four who completed an 11-year circumnavigation have earned Cruising Club of America’s major awards for 2018. The awards were issued March 1 at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan.

Honey, who has navigated during numerous record-setting voyages, received the Far Horizons award given to a voyager who exemplifies the club’s objectives. Honey’s contributions to the sport include 22 sailing records and 30 patents in navigation and graphics. He also co-founded a company that has enhanced live-tracking for sports shown on TV.

Ellen and Seth Leonard won the Young Voyager Award.

Dan Nerney

He set records in many of the best-known events in sailing, including the Transpac, Newport Bermuda Race, Transatlantic Races and Rolex Sydney Harbor Race. He navigated aboard the 2006 Volvo Ocean Race winning yacht ABN Amro One, and also on Groupama 3, which set a record in 2010 for the fastest circumnavigation in 48 days, seven hours and 45 minutes.

Bruce Halabisky and Tiffany Loney received the Blue Water Medal after completing an 11-year circumnavigation aboard their 1952 John Atkin-designed gaff-rigged wooden cutter, Vixen. Their two daughters were born during the cruise, which began with a 2004 voyage to Hawaii. During that time, they visited 30 countries and completed three trans-Atlantic crossings. The family now lives on Orcas Island, Wash.

The club’s Young Voyager Award went to Ellen and Seth Leonard for their mostly double-handed circumnavigation that started when they were 20 and 23, respectively. The 32,000-mile voyage aboard the 38-foot, cutter-rigged sloop Heretic began and ended in Blue Hill, Maine. The couple is currently sailing aboard the 40-foot, cold-molded, cutter-rigged wooden sloop Celeste, on which they have logged more than 13,000 nautical miles.

Linda and Steve Dashew with the Richard S. Nye Award.

Dan Nerney

Steve and Linda Dashew received the Richard S. Nye award recognizing meritorious service to the cruising club and broader yachting world. The couple, who set records sailing together for more than 50 years, came to understand that faster voyages reduced weather and navigational variables, making them safer overall.

The club’s Royal Cruising Trophy went to Ernie Godshalk and Ann Noble-Kiley, both of Boston, for undertaking the most interesting moderate-duration cruise of singular merit. The Vilas Literary Prize went to Jim and Jean Foley of Chicago, who documented their cruise along Australia’s southern coast.

By Ocean Navigator