img11460Simon Allan of Porthleven, Cornwall, has won the 2002-2003 Musto International Cruising Award for his log and photos of a cruise in Greenland waters, aboard his 30ft gaff yawl Grandgousier, originally built in France in 1931 to fish for oysters under sail.

At a special prize-giving ceremony held on the opening day of the Schroders London International Boat Show, Mr Allan was presented with a specially-commissioned Alan Simpson £1000 watercolour of Grangousier, £1500 worth of Musto foul weather clothing and a plaque recording details of his voyage.

Simon Allan is 27 years old and a professional yacht skipper, currently based in Majorca. He sailed the 70 year old yacht, which his family had totally restored, with Canadian Kevin Burns and his brother Robin Allan through the iceberg-strewn waters of the world?s largest island. His account of the voyage is published in the February issue of Britain?s premier sailing magazine, Yachting World.

"I wrote the log during the last three days before the competition closed," said Simon Allan after receiving the prizes from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who chaired the judging panel. "I really enjoyed writing it. One thing I didn?t include in the log was that, when we were on our way back from Greenland to Cornwall, we were hit by a big wave in the middle of the night. The boat went right over on her side in the Force 10 gale, ripping the mizzen boom off and carrying off the life raft too!"

The two other finalists, George Whitchurch, who cruised his Freeward 30 to Brittany from the East Coast with his wife Vivian and Burkhard Strauch from Germany, who with his wife, sailed round the South Island of New Zealand, took joint second overall, each receiving Musto clothing and a plaque.

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