Before his recent retirement, BOTY judge Gerry Douglas
spent most of his 45 years in the marine industry as the chief engineer, designer and vice president at Catalina Yachts, where he also oversaw all phases of manufacturing at the Florida yard. His designs account for more than 40,000 hulls produced under the Catalina, Capri and Morgan Marine brands. Among them, 13 models have won BOTY awards.
CW editor-at-large Tim Murphy has tested and written about hundreds of sailboats during his many years as a BOTY judge. He grew up living aboard a 41-foot ketch and sailing along the US East Coast and the Bahamas before earning a 100-ton US Coast Guard license. His career has included stints as a sailing instructor, as well as a writer and editor for a number of publications and organizations, including the American Boat and Yacht Council. Immediately after this year’s BOTY contest, Murphy set sail on his recently refitted Passport 40, Billy Pilgrim, bound for the grand unknown.
Longtime CW contributing technical writer and BOTY judge Ed Sherman recently retired from full-time service with the ABYC, where he was the education vice president. During his career, Sherman has written numerous books, including Advanced Marine
Electrics and Electronics Troubleshooting, and he has developed courseware for programs at the New England Institute of Technology and International Yacht Restoration School, as well as for the US Navy, Coast Guard and NOAA. As a BOTY judge, he’s frequently spotted, screwdriver in hand, digging deep into electrical panels and engine rooms.