Have you had an amazing adventure at sea, whether close to home or in remote corners? Have you spotted whales while sailing, found Arctic ice, or gathered marine data along the way? If you have been on a sailing voyage with an environmental twist, there’s a new competition in which you could win £2,000 in the process.
The Brian Black Memorial Award for marine environmental journalism has been established by Yachting Monthly in association with B&G (sailing electronics), to celebrate sailing adventures which shed a fresh light on marine environmental issues through inspiring journalism.
Entry criteria
- Entries should be in electronic written format as Microsoft Word or Plain Text documents with no inserted images.
- Images should be supplied by Drop Box link and should be clearly labelled in the file name and with a list of images in the text document.
- Links to supporting video can be included but will not form part of the judging decision.
- Entries should be between 2,000 and 3,000 words and articles above this length will not be considered.
- The entry must be the original work of the author and not have been previously published.
- Images submitted need not have been taken solely by the author, but they should be specific to the project or voyage, and the author must have written permission to submit the images for publication in print and online. Images and articles may be shared in their original context by supporting organisations and sponsors for the purpose of promoting the award.
- Entries should be submitted no later than 8 August 2021. Entries received after this date will not be considered.
- Entries should be submitted by email to yachtingmonthly@futurenet.com, with Brian Black Memorial Award in the subject line.
Additional guidance
- Applications are invited from anyone who has recently used a sailing boat to explore an environmental issue about which they are passionate.
- The voyage should ideally have been undertaken in UK, European or Arctic waters to reflect Brian and Lesley Black’s lifelong commitment to this area.
- The judges are looking for great stories told well and will focus primarily on the quality of the writing.
- Articles should be illustrated with beautiful photography
- Articles should inform, educate and inspire the reader about a particular area and environmental issue.
Prizes
The winning entry will receive:
- A cash prize of £2,000
- A donation of £100 to their environmental project or charity of choice
- Publication of their work in Yachting Monthly magazine and website
- An original artwork inspired by the winning entry by son of Brian and Les, artist Kieron Black
- A presentation hosted by Yachting Monthly and the judging panel
- A physical award
- The right to use the award logo
The winner will be announced at the Southampton Boat Show (COVID restrictions permitting)
You can read more about the competition on the Yachting Monthly website.