EDITORS’ LETTER
One of the things we had not foreseen when planning our
judges’ lunch to choose the winners of our inaugural Ocean
Awards was just how heated the debates over winners would
get. From the divemaster (Princess Zahra Aga Khan) to the
entrepreneur (Sir Charles Dunstone), every one of our
10 experts, handpicked by ourselves or our partner, Blue Marine
Foundation, was passionate, dedicated, and not afraid to rule
feathers in order to get to the right winner. Which we did.
Eventually. One question that came up was: how can a
magazine devoted to superyachts claim to care about the health
of the oceans? It’s a fair question that we’re sure will be levied
at us in the coming days, weeks and months. The answer
is simple. Every superyacht owner, crew member, builder
and designer we have met since taking the reins at
Boat International spends an inordinate amount of their lives
at sea. They are passionate about, and experts on, the ocean’s
nature, its future and its wellbeing, not least because it is
interlinked with their own. They – you, our readers – travel to
untouched areas of the planet, dive and snorkel remote reefs
and seabeds, study weather patterns for hours on end and
witness first hand the damage we are doing to the largest part
of our planet. It was this interaction with those we know best,
and hearing about the issue closest to your hearts, that led us
to team up with Blue Marine Foundation, one of the UK’s
foremost ocean conservation charities, and launch the first
of our annual Ocean Awards. The winners are as diverse
and admirable as their projects are brilliant, and we hope you
find their stories and life’s work as inspiring as we did.@boatinternational
@boatintEDITORIAL DIRECTOR13