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Penzance Yachtsman Receives RYA Yachtmaster® of the Year Award

RYA President HRH The Princess Royal awarded the prestigious RYA Yachtmaster® of the Year award at the Schroders London International Boat Show. Andrew Wood, 31, from Penzance received the award after impressing his examiner with his capabilities proven during his exam.
<IMG style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 224px" alt="Andrew Wood sailing the Northwest Passage" hspace=3 src="http://www.rya.org.uk/images/uploaded/0fe9aad9-194a-4825-846a-f92aae06d8cf/wood_uploaded.JPG" align=right vspace=3 border=0>James Stevens, RYA Training Manager, commented: ‘He was an outstanding and truly exceptional candidate in every respect. He has not o­nly sailed as skipper from the UK to New Zealand in his 42ft steel cutter, but o­n the return trip went from NZ to Alaska and through the Northwest passage to Greenland and home.’

During this remarkable voyage which culminated in October 2003 Andrew Wood, with a crew of Zoe Birchenough and his father (and builder of the boat) Richard Wood became the first British crew to navigate the Northwest Passage from West to East and the first to make the passage in o­ne season.

Since the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen made the first successful passage in 1906, it is thought that fewer than 10 yachts have made it through the passage without icebreaker assistance. You can learn more about the trip and the team at Andrew’s website . <IMG style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 204px" alt="Andrew Wood with Princess Anne" hspace=3 src="http://www.cornwall24.co.uk/images/news/woody.jpg" align=left vspace=3 border=0>

With four short-listed candidates from the UK and as far afield as Russia, this year’s entrants reflect the worldwide popularity of the RYA Training schemes.

Although Andrew’s enviable passage making background undoubtedly stood him in good stead with all the practical skills that are tested in the Yachtmaster Practical Examination, the Yachtmaster® of the year award is awarded for excellent performance o­n the exam day, not previous logged sea time, although candidates do need to have logged a minimum of 2500 miles at sea to qualify for the exam.

Andrew’s examiner Michael Stratton said, ‘Andrew is o­ne of the most competent seafarers I have ever examined for the RYA Yachtmaster®. His seamanship and navigation is outstanding, exceeded o­nly by his modesty.’

The Yachtmaster® qualification is o­ne of the most highly respected and recognised in the world. At the pinnacle of RYA Training, a Yachtmaster® is a yachtsman or woman who has the knowledge and competence to skipper a motor or sailing yacht o­n coastal and cross-Channel passages. A Yachtmaster® must be able to cope with normal conditions and also demanding situations. The RYA Yachtmaster® qualification is the ultimate aim for most recreational boaters who want to demonstrate their all-round skills and competence as a skipper. It is also required by most commercial yacht skippers o­n sailing and motor vessels.

James Stevens, RYA Training Manager and Chief Examiner said, ‘The RYA examined 2,563 Yachtmasters® last year and all our examiners were invited to nominate their best candidates. The knowledge and ability of this year`s winner to take charge of a yacht was outstanding and judged to be the best of 2004.’