The Cruising Club of America has named Leiv Poncet of the Falkland Islands the recipient of the 2024 Blue Water Medal.
This award honors exceptional seamanship and adventure by amateur sailors. Poncet was recognized for his numerous intrepid high-latitude voyages around the world. “His dedication to exploring the world’s most remote and challenging locations without fanfare exemplifies the spirit of this award,” according to the CCA.
Previous recipients of this century-old award include Bernard Moitessier, Eric and Susan Hiscock, Thies Matzen and Kicki Ericson, and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede—but Poncet is the first winner of the Blue Water Medal whose parents won it previously.
Jerome and Sally Poncet earned the same award in 1992 for their pioneering liveaboard voyaging in Antarctica, and their publication of a handbook for voyaging in the region.
Leiv Poncet’s solo voyages during the past 25 years include his circumnavigation of the Southern Ocean, voyages from the Falkland Islands to the Aleutian Islands, and first-ever, high-latitude sea-kayaking trips. His 38-foot steel sloop Peregrine, a French Trireme model, has taken him to places like South Georgia and beyond. The CCA says he has not only demonstrated exceptional seamanship, but also contributed to scientific research by using Peregrine as a base for ornithologists and other scientists.
Poncet was notified of his award while cruising the South Pacific Ocean, two weeks away from the Marquesas. He said that he felt the Blue Water Medal “is not entirely mine. I am only doing what I know how to do, what I grew up doing.”
What is the Cruising Club of America? It’s a 1,400-member organization of accomplished offshore sailors who focus on the responsibilities, expertise and skills needed for the adventurous use of the seas. The club’s initiatives emphasize safety-at-sea education and training, exemplary offshore yacht design and construction, and environmental stewardship. In even-numbered years, the CCA organizes the Newport Bermuda Race in conjunction with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
Where to learn more: visit cruisingclub.org
