A real-life Swallows and Amazons adventure has landed a Cumbrian sailor a prestigious award.
Boyd Holmes, of Hayton, near Carlisle, and his two grandsons sailed around the Isle of Mull.
Now, the 73-year-old former Carlisle solicitor has been announced as the winner of the Cruising Association’s annual award for the best log of a family cruise.
Boyd was presented with his trophy at a ceremony held at the association’s London headquarters.
The prize celebrates Boyd’s account of week-long cruise he undertook in summer with his 12-year-old twin grandsons Andrew and John Wort.
Judges decided that the log of their voyage, combining the challenges they faced with nautical detail and plentiful splashes of good humour, deserved the top family cruise award.
Their Scottish island odyssey saw Boyd and the boys set sail from Ardfern on the West Coast of Scotland in Boyd’s 45ft yacht Blue Damsel.
For the next seven days they pitted their sailing skills against the unpredictable weather and varying sea conditions of the Inner Hebrides, and enjoyed runs ashore on remote islands.
Other highlights included a visit to Tobermory on Mull, and a sail across to the uninhabited island of Staffa and a dramatic close-up sighting of Fingal’s Cave.
“It was a memorable cruise for many different reasons, and not least for seeing my two grandsons gain hands-on experience in tackling a whole range of different sailing skills,” said Boyd.
“It can be taxing at times, and you need to be aware of the risks involved – but in terms of satisfaction and a sense of achievement, sailing leaves social media high and dry.
“The boys now say they can’t wait for their next adventure,” said Boyd, a qualified Yachtmaster and former managing partner of Carlisle law firm Cartmell Shepherd.
Founded in 1908 and with nearly 6,500 members, the Cruising Association’s awards are an eagerly awaited annual event in which Boyd said he was proud and humbled to have played a part.
Accompanying Boyd and his grandsons on the voyage was the boat’s engineer Gary Chrispin who spent 40 years in the Merchant Navy, mostly in the role of chief engineer.
Last year also saw Boyd presented with sailing trophies from the Clyde Cruising Club and the Royal Cruising Club for his log of a three-week cruise to the Faroe Islands.
The year, however, was tinged with sadness for Boyd and his family after his wife Kitty, a well-known former Carlisle GP, died in late August following a long illness.
He said that Kitty, the co-owner of Blue Damsel and his companion on many past voyages, would certainly have shared his delight at winning the association’s family cruise award.
