Yachting Monthly writer Alex Whitworth has scooped an award from the Cruising Club of America (CCA) at its annual dinner.

Australian Alex (pictured above left receiving his award from CCA commodore Sheila McCurdy) received the Blue Water Medal for his circumnavigation of the world via the Northwest Passage west to east.

American William E Cook was also honoured, picking up the Far Horizons Award for a series of voyages to the Arctic region including cruises to Greenland and Baffin Island, Canada.

And Alessandro Di Benedetto, from Rome, Italy, won the Rod Stephens Trophy for resourcefulness by completing a non-stop circumnavigation in his 21-footer, despite sailing under jury rig from Cape Horn to Europe.

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