Sheila McCurdy of Middletown, RI is the newest recipient of the Cruising Club of America’s top service award, the Richard S. Nye Trophy. McCurdy is one of several French, Irish and American sailors recognized for outstanding achievement internationally at the CCA’s annual gala awards dinner at the New York Yacht Club in New York, NY on March 6, a tradition dating back nearly a century. Recipients typically comprise both CCA members and non-members, and this year was no exception.
The assembled award winners including Sheila McCurdy, lower left © harriet lewis pallette
McCurdy was honored for her leadership in the CCA and her promotion of ocean sailing throughout the yachting world, as well as her many successes in yacht racing. The award is named for a past commodore of the CCA who was a two-time winner of the Newport Bermuda Race. On receiving the award, McCurdy said, “Everything I’ve given to this club has rewarded me many times over in friendships and incredible opportunities. This award is especially meaningful to me because at the age of 22 I sailed from the Canary Islands to Tortola with Dick Nye aboard Carina, so this is an amazing arc.” She concluded by saying, “I am not done yet. There are many more people to encourage to go out and make adventurous use of the sea.”
A collection of passionate, accomplished and adventurous ocean sailors, the 1,300-member CCA has no physical clubhouse and is instead organized among eleven stations throughout North America and Bermuda. In even-numbered years, the CCA organizes the Newport Bermuda Race in conjunction with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
To learn more, visit cruisingclub.org. ■
