2007 SOUTHAM AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN SAILING COMMUNICATIONS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

 
2007 SOUTHAM AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN SAILING COMMUNICATIONS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

February 14, 2008, Miami, FL – Winners of the annual 2007 John Southam Awards for Excellence in Media Communications were announced by U.S. trade association Sail America and Chief Judge Sally Helme at the Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail media breakfast today.

The awards, named in honor of John Southam, former publisher of Cruising World and Sailing World magazines who played a significant role in the growth of sailing, are now in its 15th year with an impressive number of media impressions totaling 77,374,337 generated by 2007 contest submissions.

Of the 228 entries which included a broad mix of print, broadcast, books and online/internet media, the judging panel of four industry veterans awarded seven cash prizes totaling $11,000, plus noted two honorable mentions.

The 2007 Southam winner is The Learning Channel’s TV Series, “Little People, Big World” episode #36, conceived and produced by Gay Rosenthal Productions in conjunction with The Moorings. This heart-warming feature aired multiple times in December 2007, reaching an estimated audience of more than three million viewers. The broadcast production is a reality series that offers viewers an intimate look into the lives of little people. The feature showed the Roloff family enjoying a sailing vacation in the Bahamas aboard a Moorings catamaran.

“Their excitement and enjoyment at learning to sail is infectious and provided powerful visual testimony that people of all shapes and sizes, of all ages and abilities, can enjoy the beauty of sailing and time on the water,” said Helme. “The impact of the show has been dramatic – the Moorings and many other charter companies reported that their phones rang off the hooks on days following the airing, with consumers clamoring to go sailing like the ‘little people; did.”

Episode producers won $5000 for the grand prize winning entry, plus a beautiful crystal sailboat. The check was presented to David Rohr of The Moorings during the Miami Boat Show Press Event.

Other category winners included Jerry Mashaw and Anne MacClintock for their book, “Seasoned by Salt,” published by Sheridan House. The book is a well told account of one couple’s year long cruise through the Caribbean sharing the highs and lows of cruising in both an entertaining and informative format. Ultimately, the judges deemed this best in class due to its ability to “inspire anyone who is debating casting off themselves.”

The winner in the Newspapers Under 100,000 (circulation) category is entitled “Smooth Sailing,” published in the Atlantic City Press (Atlantic City, NJ) in June 2007 and written by Courtney McCann. This well written article celebrates the beauty and simplicity of an afternoon sail on the Jersey shore, underscoring that learning to sail is easy. The author also provided complete contact information for her readers, including a list of sailing schools and boat rental companies in the area, along with some basic sailing terminology.

Also taking a major win from the Garden State in the Newspapers Over 100,000 (circulation) category is Nyier Abdou, for her article, “Sailors Tap Reservoir of Delight,” published in the Star Ledger, Newark NJ, with a daily circulation of nearly 400,000. Abdou’s article featured an informal sailing club that operates on the Spruce Run Reservoir in Hunterdon County, NJ. Having fun is the mantra for this group, and the article provides a refreshing and welcoming perspective of grass roots sailing, inviting the reader to get involved.

One of the most popular categories was the Web, with a variety of interesting and varied entries, many from individual sailors and authors. The Web categor