CCA's 2025 Blue Water Medal to Pete Hill; 5 other award winners named
by Cruising Club of America 6 Jan 17:13 GMT
Sail trials of Oryx, August 2012 © David Duval-Hall
More than 50 years of no-frills ocean voyaging earn Pete Hill the prestigious, 102-year-old Blue Water Medal. Joining him in receiving 2025 Cruising Club of America honors are several others who have overcome numerous challenges at sea and on land, and inspired others to do so, as well.
The announcement by the Cruising Club of America (CCA) of the 2025 Blue Water Medal winner Pete Hill and five other award winners for their adventurous use of the seas highlights several exceptional records of achievement. Collectively, these sailors have employed simple and seaworthy rigs, inspired youth to broaden horizons with experiential living, and undertaken risky, far-ranging solo cruising voyages. In so doing, each has contributed to the entire sailing community.
- Blue Water Medal - Pete Hill
- Young Voyager Award - Tamara Klink
- Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy - Philip "Greg" Velez
- Diana Russell Award - Peter Willauer
- Far Horizons Award - Christopher and Molly Barnes
- Richard S. Nye Trophy - Doug and Dale Bruce
Pete Hill: Blue Water Medal
Pete Hill, of the United Kingdom, is the recipient of the CCA's 2025 Blue Water Medal. This prestigious award, established to honor exceptional seamanship and adventure by amateur sailors, recognizes Hill for his more than 50 years of long-distance voyaging in the world's oceans. His dedication to building or modifying his yachts to the simple junk rig and proving their seaworthiness has been inspirational to a yachting community of minimalists who find it most important to be at sea or with a community of like-minded sailors.
With this honor—the highest CCA award, first granted 102 years ago—Hill, 75, follows in the wake of other remarkable sailors including Bill Tilman, Bernard Moitessier, Eric and Susan Hiscock, and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. His independent philosophy of design and construction has allowed him to sail the same seas as these icons of yachting without the burden of sophisticated and expensive systems.
Notified of the award while cruising in New Caledonia in the South Pacific Ocean, in emotional tones, Hill expressed profound gratitude. "I am blown away by this," he said, adding "this is such an honor."
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Tamara Klink: Young Voyager Award
The CCA has named Tamara Klink, 28, of São Paulo, Brazil, the recipient of the 2025 Young Voyager Award. The award recognizes a young sailor who has made one or more exceptional voyages, demonstrating exceptional skills and courage.
Klink set sail alone at the age of 22 aboard Sardinha, her 26-foot sailboat, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Norway to Brazil, a voyage of more than 7,000 miles in 90 days. This was just the beginning of her solo sailing career. In 2023 she sailed from France to Greenland in her 34-foot sailboat, Sardinha-2, and then overwintered in Greenland in the sea ice, becoming the first female sailor to overwinter in the Arctic alone. In the process of completing that voyage, Klink also became the first Latin American to solo sail the Northwest Passage.
Like a very small number of other adventurous voyagers, Klink's accomplishments have attracted one of the largest social media audiences in the sailing world; some 200,000 users followed the real-time tracking of Sardinha-2 and read journal entries she posted.
"Sailing is always a collective endeavour, especially singlehanded," Klink said upon being informed of the honor. "I rely on a team, as well as on the experience of more seasoned sailors who have paved and continue to pave our way."
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Philip "Greg" Velez: Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy
Philip "Greg" Velez, of Saginaw, Michigan, is the recipient of the 2025 Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy from the CCA for rescuing a sailor who fell off a competitor's boat in trying conditions during the 101st Bayview Mackinac Race.
After close to an hourlong search in high winds and building seas in response to a mayday call, Velez and crew aboard his Amante 2, a Farr 49, were successful in finding and saving Pete Pryce, 72, who had fallen from Trident, a Santa Cruz 70.
The CCA annually awards the Rod Stephens Seamanship Trophy to a sailor for an act of seamanship which significantly contributes to the safety of a yacht, or one or more individuals at sea.
"I am unbelievably proud of my crew; they were not going to give up the search until he was found," says Velez. "Once we found him, the retrieval was the easy part. The crew made it look like they were picking up a water skier."
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Peter Willauer: Diana Russell Award
The CCA has selected Peter Willauer of Falmouth, Maine, to receive the 2025 Diana Russell Award. This award goes to a club member in recognition of innovation in sailing design, methodology, education, training, safety, and the adventurous use of the sea.
Willauer, who was 90 when he was informed of the honor before he passed away November 6, 2025, was a key innovator in experiential education over several decades. Perhaps his most important contribution has been the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, and the subsequent Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership, whose mission is to "integrate scientific research and education to develop leaders prepared to address environmental issues in a rapidly changing world."
"I always told the students at their last debrief before departing the island that their Outward Bound course was only just beginning," he said. "I received countless communications from former students about how their course still impacts their lives many years later. On a transatlantic in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean 10 years ago, a sailor on a boat within SSB range of us heard me talking on the radio to our weather router and interrupted and asked 'Is that Peter Willauer?' When I said 'Yes', he said 'I was on a course on Hurricane in 1972, and I'm out here now because of that experience. I just want to thank you.'"
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Christopher and Molly Barnes: Far Horizons Award
The CCA has chosen Christopher and Molly Barnes of Alta, Utah, as recipients of the Far Horizons Award for 2025. The premier sailing honor for a CCA member, this award recognizes the sailing achievements of an individual or couple who have embarked upon a cruise or series of cruises that demonstrate the broader objectives of the Club, including the adventurous use of the sea.
A three-year, 36,000 nautical mile cruise undertaken by the Barnes family from 2013 to 2016 included a circumnavigation of South America and rounding of Cape Horn, with stops at Easter Island, Chile; South Georgia Island in the sub-Antarctic Ocean; Arctic Norway, and a wintertime crossing of France's notorious Bay of Biscay. Crew comprised their sons, Porter and Rabbit, ages 10 and 9 when they started.
When informed of the award, Molly and Christopher had just completed another summer season in Newfoundland and southern Labrador, Canada, and expressed surprise. "We are honored and a bit daunted to be in such esteemed company," they said, noting that it is "a real thrill to receive the award on behalf of all four of us."
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Doug and Dale Bruce: Richard S. Nye Trophy
The CCA has announced that Doug and Dale Bruce are the Richard S. Nye Trophy recipients for 2025. Given at the discretion of the Governing Board, The Nye Trophy was established in honor of the late CCA Commodore. It has been awarded since 1978 to a member who has brought distinction to the Club by meritorious service, outstanding seamanship, outstanding performance in long distance cruising or racing, statesmanship in the affairs of international yachting, or any combination of these accomplishments.
The couple's contributions over many years are numerous. Starting in 2009, they rewrote the CCA Cruising Guide to Newfoundland, then in 2010 began a seven-year role at the helm of Voyages, the Club's annual magazine. Doug, elected in 2006, and Dale, elected in 2016, have continuously expanded their roles and contributions. Doug rewrote and revised the Canadian Maritime Cruising Guides, updating valuable cruising sailor resources. He followed with editing and development of the Viking Route Guide. He also envisioned the online CCA Cruising Guide to Maine, which has brought significant timely and in-depth guidance as well as favorable publicity and goodwill to the Club. He also contributed extensively as a member of the Awards and Communications Committees.
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Read more about current and past award winners on the CCA website. All 2025 award winners are invited to receive their awards at a special ceremony in New York City in early March.