Sally Helme, of The Sailing Co. in Middletown, R.I., and Eric Goetz of Goetz Composites in Bristol, R.I., were named the 2014 recipients of the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association Anchor Awards.
The accolades — awarded annually to people who have had a significant impact on the promotion and advancement of Rhode Island’s marine trades — were presented at RIMTA’s annual Industry Breakfast on Sept. 13.
About 145 industry members attended the presentation. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a past Anchor Award recipient, and U.S. Rep. David Cicilline also addressed the audience.
Brad Read, of Sail Newport, presented Helme with her award. Read lauded Helme as a longtime advocate of the industry and the sport and a leader in the media who continues to shine a spotlight on recreational boating on a global scale.
Peter Van Lancke, of Hunt Yachts, presented Goetz with his award. Van Lancker praised Goetz as an innovator who has built elegant composite structures with precision, accuracy and engineering skill and as someone who has shaped the industry as a teacher and mentor to many in the field.
