AIM Marine Group Wins Big at Annual Boating Writing Awards
AIM Media’s Marine Group dominated the annual Boating Writers International (BWI) writing contest, winning eight of 16 categories—sweeping three of them—and a total of 33 prizes representing stories that covered the wide range of boating and sailing, from safety and seamanship to adventure and sustainability. The winners were announced February 14 at the start of the 2024 Miami International Boat Show.
This year’s BWI Awards (presented now for 31 years) attracted 76 participants submitting 248 entries from stories, videos, and photography published in 2023. Writers won cash awards for first, second, and third places and also earned 26 certificates of merit. Each category was judged by four active journalists in the first few weeks of 2024. Cash award recipients also received a recognition plaque noting their “Excellence in creating compelling content about boating through entertaining, educational, and inspiring journalism.”
“No matter what the medium, whether it’s our magazines, websites, videos, or podcasts, rich storytelling is the backbone of the titles in our group,” said AIM Marine Group Editorial Director Dan Harding. “It’s extremely gratifying to be recognized by our peers and BWI for the hard work I see our team doing every day. I’m very proud to be part of such a driven and talented team of people.”
“I am thrilled but not surprised that this group of editors were able to achieve what hasn’t been achieved before,” said Marine Group President Gary DeSanctis. “Under Dan’s leadership the group is inspired and putting forth great work.”
SAIL magazine won first place in five categories; Multihull Power & Sail won the new Women in Boating category; Soundings Trade Only won the Business of Boating category, and Passagemaker won the Boat Projects, Renovations and Refits category. AIM titles swept the categories of Boat Tests and Reviews; Boat Projects, Renovations and Refits; and Boating Columns.
In Boating Lifestyles, sponsored by Discover Boating, SAIL Editor-in-Chief Wendy Mitman Clarke won for “Sailing With the Boy,” while Soundings Executive Editor Pim Van Hemmen took second for “Out of Their Gourds.” Clarke also took a merit award for “One True Boat.”
In Boating Photography, sponsored by ePropulsion, Tor Johnson won for “Evening Deck Check,” his evocative image on the cover of the May issue of SAIL, while Van Hemmen took second place for “Battleship” in Soundings, and writer/photographer Robert Beringer earned a merit award for “Dawn on the Santa Maria” in SAIL.
Of the winning photo, Judge Tim Murphy observed, “Speed and stasis, power and peace: this image captures the beautiful aloneness of being on passage at twilight. The speed of the wake and the stillness of the person standing at the mast, separated by all the power in that genoa drawing—I want to be in that moment.”
In Boating Issues, News and Analysis, sponsored by Mercury Marine, Kim Kavin’s story “Policy Problems” in Soundings took third place.
In the Environmental Awareness and Education category, sponsored by Torqeedo, SAIL Technical Editor Adam Cove won second for “Facing Future,” his in-depth look at sustainability advances in boatbuilding.
In Seamanship, Rescue and Safety, sponsored by Sea Tow Services International, “So Others May Live” by Power & Motoryacht Senior Editor Chris Dixon took second, while SAIL Contributing Editor Christopher Birch won third for “What’s in Your Life Vest?”
AIM titles swept the Boat Tests and Reviews category, sponsored by Volvo Penta. Clarke won in SAIL for her review of the Tartan 455; Charlie Levine came in second with “Secret Formula” in Power & Motoryacht, and Passagemaker Editor-in-Chief Jeff Moser earned third with “The Real McCoy.” Kevin Koenig also got a merit award for “Life and Love in Stockholm” in Power & Motoryacht.
Of the winning story, Judge Rich Armstrong noted, “The author taps her deep subject knowledge and passion for sailing, adds a vivid walk-thru of features along with a rousing sea story to create a superb product review that reads like a feature story.”
In the Fishing category, sponsored by Suzuki Marine USA, Anglers Journal Editor-in-Chief Charlie Levine won third place for “Clowning Around,” as well as a merit award for “Fishing for All.”
In the Gear, Electronics and Product Tests category, sponsored by Xantrex/Mission Critical Electronics, Adam Cove won in Soundings for “Screw the Status Quo.”
AIM titles also swept the Boat Projects, Renovations and Retrofits category, sponsored by Boats Group. Norris Comer won in Passagemaker for “Immortal Words, Historic Boat,” Van Hemmen won in Soundings for “A Boat for Anne,” and Dixon won in Power & Motoryacht for “The Purpose Driven Yacht.” Of the winning story, Judge Gregg Mansfield noted, “As a reader, I felt like I was part of the years-long restoration process of the Western Flyer, a ship that was launched during the Great Depression.”
In the Business of Boating, sponsored by BRP, Kim Kavin won first and third places in Soundings Trade Only for “How to Play Smart Defense,” and “So far, Not so Bad.” Power and Motoryacht’s Dixon won a merit award for “Drawing Board – Scout 67”
Of the winner, Judge Jeff Hemmel said, “Catching the reader’s attention right off the bat with the significant costs of two cyber-attacks on major players in the boating market, ‘How To Play Smart Defense’ went on to explain the complexities of cyber-crime then to offer real, practical tips that businesses use to protect themselves.”
AIM titles also swept the Columns category, sponsored by KVH Industries. Clarke won in SAIL for her Setting Sail column, SAIL Charter Editor Zuzana Prochazka earned second for her monthly Charter Life column, and former Editor-in-Chief Bill Sisson of Anglers Journal won third for “Between Fish.” AIM titles also took the merit awards for this category, with John Wooldridge winning a merit for “Used Boats” in Soundings, and Bob Arrington winning a merit for “Life Aboard” in Power & Motoryacht.
Tor Johnson won a merit award in the Boating Travel or Destinations category, sponsored by Dometic, for his story in SAIL, “Beauty in the Rough,” as did Lisa Mighetto in Passagemaker for “Outside City Limits.”
Charlie Levine won a merit award in the Boating Profiles category, sponsored by Nautical Ventures, for “A Last Great Place” in Anglers Journal.
In Boating Adventures, sponsored by Yamaha Marine Group, SAIL Managing Editor Lydia Mullan took first place with “Baptism by Fire,” while Chris Dixon won third for “Through Hell for High Water” in Power & Motoryacht. Of Mullan’s first-place story, Chair Tristan Rutherford said, “A rollercoaster adventure that you’d rather read about than partake in, for which the credit goes to the gifted author.”
Mullan also won the new category, Women in Boating, sponsored by Yamaha Watercraft, for her story in Multihull Power & Sail (of which she is editor), “Tri and Tri Again,” while Kavin took second for “Stop Dreaming. Set a Goal” in Soundings. Soundings Trade Only Editor-in-Chief Gary Reich earned a merit award for “Strength in Numbers.”
Judge Chris Dixon described the first-place piece as an “Excellent first-person account not only of a one-of-a-kind boat and her fascinating crew, but an experiential adventure aboard a very fast boat as well. Top notch reporting.”
About BWI
BWI is a non-profit professional organization consisting of writers, editors, broadcasters, publishers, photographers, public relations specialists and others in the communications profession associated with the boating industry. Members include active marine journalists across the U.S., Canada and around the world. For more information, visit www.bwi.org.
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