The Cruising Club of America has awarded its 2011 Blue Water Medal
New York, N.Y., USA (January 30, 2011) – The Cruising Club of America
(CCA) has awarded its esteemed 2011 Blue Water Medal to Thies Matzen and
Kicki Ericson for a commendable 24 years and 135,000 miles of sailing
the oceans of the world with a focus in the high latitudes of the
Southern Ocean. The first Blue Water Medal was awarded in 1923; and is
given to “the most meritous example of seamanship.” Its recipient is
selected from among amateurs of all the nations.” The medal will be
presented by Commodore Daniel P. Dyer, III at the annual Awards Dinner
on March 2, 2012 at New York Yacht Club in Manhattan.
Matzen was born in Germany in 1956 and grew up to be a wooden boat builder. In 1981,Matzen purchased Wanderer III,
a 30 foot wooden sloop, built in 1952 for Eric and Susan Hiscock who
made two circumnavigations with it and received the Blue Water Medal in
1955.Matzen sailed Wanderer III to Scandinavia where he cruised
extensively, including to the Lofoten Islands (Norway), and then
crossed the Atlantic Ocean. In 1989, while sailing in the Caribbean, he
met Swedish-born (1964) Ericson, and the two have lived on Wanderer III ever
since. After leaving the Caribbean, the duo sailed through the Panama
Canal and into the Pacific Ocean where they spent seven years traveling
from site to site. After that, Ericson and Matzen sailed to Indonesia,
explored the Indian Ocean, and sailed around the Cape of Good Hope
(South Africa).
From 1997 to 1999, Matzen and Ericson did two
circuits of the South Atlantic, starting in Cape Town (South Africa) and
visiting Argentina, The Falkland Islands, and South Georgia before
heading back to Cape Town (South Africa) and South America, where they
rounded Cape Horn before returning to the Pacific. The couple’s last
twelve years have been comprised of exploring sites in the Southern
Ocean, including Tasmania, The Auckland Islands, Antarctica and the
Falkland Islands. Recently the two spent 26 months in South Georgia.
Currently, Matzen and Ericson are in Brazil and plan to do some work on Wanderer III,
which has been kept in its original condition with no electronics
onboard except a VHF radio and handheld GPS (added in 2007). The vessel
has a 16 horsepower diesel engine and the hull, rigging and gear have
been self-maintained using traditional methods.
In addition to presenting its Blue Water Medal, the CCA will present the following 2011 Awards:
Far Horizons Award awarded
to Brian and Mary Alice O’Neill (Bainbridge Island, WA) for an
admirable 25-month cruise circumnavigating the Pacific Rim, North
Pacific Ocean on their 44-foot Robert Perry Designed sloop Shibui. En route the two delivered school supplies to those in need and toured WWII sites.
Richard S. Nye Trophy awarded to Gary Jobson (Annapolis, Md.) for sharing with the club his
meritorious service, racing, and statesmanship in the affairs of
international yachting.
Rod Stephens Trophy awarded to Bob Arzbaecher (Milwaukee, Wisc.) and the crew of the Beneteau 40.7 Sociable for their dramatic rescue of the crew of the Kiwi 35 WingNuts during the Chicago Yacht Club’s 103rd Race to Mackinac held this past July.
About the Cruising Club of America
The
Cruising Club of America is dedicated to offshore cruising, voyaging
and the “adventurous use of the sea” through efforts to improve
seamanship, the design of seaworthy yachts, safe yachting procedures and
environmental awareness. Now in its 90th year, the club has 11 stations
throughout the U.S., Canada and Bermuda, with approximately 1200
members who are qualified by their experience in offshore passage
making. In even-numbered years, the CCA organizes the Newport to Bermuda
Race in conjunction with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Through the
club’s Bonnell Cove Foundation, grants are made to 501 C3 organizations
for safety at sea and environment of the sea projects. For more
information on the CCA, go to http://www.cruisingclub.org.