Boating Writers International held its annual meeting and Writing Contest Awards program this week before the Miami International Boat Show opened.

The contest drew 273 entries in 15 categories from 95 participants. The Active Interest Media Marine Group, of which Soundings Trade Only is part of, took five first-place awards, eight second-place awards, five third-place awards and 12 certificates of merit.

In the Boating Lifestyles category, Gary Reich of Soundings placed second for “Cult Classic.” Pim Van Hemmen of Soundings took a merit award for “The Woodstock of Sailboat Racing.”

In Boating Photography, Van Hemmen placed second for “Staying Clear.”

In Boating Issues, News and Analysis, Bill Pike of Power & Motoryacht placed first for “The Dawn of Driverless Boats,” and Van Hemmen took third for “Time to Bust Up the Boy’s Club.” Norris Comer of Power & Motoryacht got a merit award for “New Kids on the Dock.”

In the Environmental Awareness and Education category, Kim Kavin of Soundings Trade Only placed second for “Blue is the New Green.” Van Hemmen took a merit award for “Innovation Invasion.”

Kavin, writing for Soundings, placed first in the Seamanship, Rescue and Safety category for “Straight-Up Bravery.”

Charlie Levine of Power & Motoryacht placed third in the Boat Tests and Reviews category for “The Intrepid Way.” Van Hemmen won a merit award for “Going Modern.”

In the Fishing category, which the Marine Group swept, Simon Murray of Power & Motoryacht placed first for “Consider the Lobsterman,” Wendy Mitman Clarke of Soundings placed second for “Lines of Heritage,” and Levine, writing for Anglers Journal, took third for “Drawer Full of Memories.”

In Boat Projects, Renovations and Retrofits, Ven Hemmen placed first for “Saving Hindu,” and Carly Sisson of Soundings placed second for “Maine Icon.”

Norris Comer and Alan Jones each received merit awards in the Business of Boating category, Jones for “Live from Orlando: It’s ICAST 202” and Comer for “Middleweight Champs.”

Anglers Journal editor-in-chief Bill Sisson placed second in the Columns category for “Between Fish,” and Charles Doane of Sail placed third for “Waterlines.” Van Hemmen won a merit award for “Going Modern.”

Van Hemmen also took a merit award for “Lunch Run to Matinicus” in the Boating Travel or Destinations category.

The Marine Group also swept the Boating Profiles category, with first going to Power & Motoryacht editor-in-chief Daniel Harding Jr. for “On His Terms”; second going to Chris Caswell of PassageMaker for “The Inspiration”; and third going to PMY’s Murray for “Still in the Game.” Merit awards went to “One Fly to Rule them All” by Reich, “Brace for Impact” by Murray and “Uncharted Territory” by Carly Sisson.

Levine, writing for Anglers Journal, placed second in Boating Adventures for “Four Skiffs, 1300 Miles, No Sleep.” A merit went to PMY’s Pike for “Voyage of Ice and Sun.”

Click here for the complete contest results.