OCC Lifetime Award and YJA Yachtsman of the Year
The Reverend Bob Shepton, who has spent decades sailing and climbing in the high latitudes, has been honoured with the Ocean Cruising Club’s prestigious Lifetime Award.
The former Royal Marine officer, who is an ordained minister in the Church of England, is no stranger to awards. He won the Yachting Journalists’ Association’s (YJA) Yachtsman of the Year Award in 2013, and is the only sailor to have been awarded the Royal Cruising Club’s Tilman Medal twice. Bob has also received the Cruising Club of America’s Blue Water Medal and Piolet d’Or, an annual mountaineering award given by the French magazine Montaigne. During his sailing career, he has sailed around the world via Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope, with ex-students from the school where he was chaplin, aboard his 1980 33ft Westerly Discus, Dodo’s Delight.
When the yacht was dismasted in the Drake Passage, Bob and his crew sailed under jury rig to the Falkland Islands.
Dodo’s Delight was destroyed by fire while wintering in ice in Greenland in 2005. Bob then bought a close replica, another Westerly Discus, in which he sailed the Northwest Passage east to west in 2012, and west to east in 2013, at the age of 78.
Now in his 80s, Bob sails less but is a consultant and advisor to those exploring the Arctic.
YJA awards
The YJA Yachtsman of the Year Award 2023 winner has also been announced as Olympian, America’s Cup and Dragon Class sailor Lawrie Smith.
The 68-year-old enjoyed an exceptional run of success last year, winning the 75th Edinburgh Cup and the Dragon Gold Cup. Other nominees included OK dinghy sailor Charlie Cumbley; Ellie Aldridge in Formula Kite; and IQ foil windsurfer Emma Wilson.
Lawrie is the first male winner of the award since Alex
Thomson in 2017, and joins the likes of Sir Ben Ainslie, Pip Hare, Tracy Edwards and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.
Meanwhile, there was a tie in the YJA Young Sailor of the Year 2023 award, which recognises those Under 19 who, as voted for by the YJA members, performed outstandingly. Two rising stars in British sailing were announced as the winners: Jess Powell and Ben Greenhalgh.
Jess, 13, is the 2023 Topper National Champion who made a successful transition to the ILCA-4 class last year, dominating with six straight wins at an autumn qualifier, while Ben, 15, became a double world champion last year, winning the RS Tera World Championships, and also the RS Feva Worlds.
Both youngsters thanked the YJA and everyone who voted for them. Jess said: “It’s an amazing feeling and such an honour to win the award. I love being on the water. It’s the freedom, I really enjoy that part.’’
Ben said: “My next focus is the 29er worlds. I am really thankful to have won this award and pleased to be joint YJA Young Sailor of the Year.’’
The YJA winners were revealed at BoatLife at NEC Birmingham. Lawrie was given a £500 voucher from award sponsor Henri-Lloyd, while Jess and Ben won £300 vouchers.
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