Recognizing seamanship and leadership

The first-ever recipient of the newly created Sail Canada’s Cruising, Power, Navigation, and Offshore Sailing Excellence Award for 2025 is Judy Robertson from Halifax, N.S.

The award aims to recognize exemplary seamanship, leadership, and contribution to Canada’s cruising community through exceptional voyages, safety leadership, navigation excellence, or the advancement of cruising culture in Canada.

Robertson has countless nautical miles of experience on Canada’s East Coast, but also including two Atlantic Ocean crossings and seven Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Races, one being with an all-female crew on her boat.

“When I first stepped onto a boat, my goal was simply to explore the open water safely and hone the skills necessary to navigate unpredictable environments,” she explained. “To be recognized by our national sailing authority for doing what I love is profoundly humbling.”

She cruised extensively in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, the length of Patagonia in Chile as well as to Antarctica and back to Chile, in addition to going from Newfoundland to the Dominican Republic.

She also included her family as they went on several trips together, including a nine-month itinerary, travelling the Eastern Seaboard, crossing to the Bahamas and continuing through the Turks and Caicos, as well as turning around in the Dominican Republic before heading north for the summer season.

“This award represents not just my personal voyages, but the shared spirit of adventure, discipline, and meticulous preparation that defines Canada’s vibrant cruising community.”

Robertson was particularly busy in 2025, sailing with three family members on a 22-day trip from the Canary Islands to Saint Lucia, and when some of them returned home, she and her sailing partner welcomed several young sailors who joined them for various legs of the journey through the Caribbean to the Bahamas, as well as for several long legs along the U.S. coast, for a total of six months at sea.

Upon returning home, she taught a course on survival at sea, then headed back to Scotland to pilot Zodiacs aboard an Adventure Canada expedition ship, which took her to Fair Isle, the Faroe Islands, and around Iceland. She also taught a Transport Canada Small Vessel Operator Proficiency course.

“Throughout my journey, I have always believed that true seamanship extends far beyond formal instruction or technical certifications. It is about fostering a deep-rooted culture of safety leadership, sound decision-making, and mutual support on the water.”

Having worked as an educator for over 30 years, she blended it with her passion for sailing as a Sail Canada certified instructor for: Start Keelboat Sailing, Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Cruising, Basic and Intermediate Power, Coastal Navigation, PCOC and Maritime Radio Certificate, International Cruising Certificate and Offshore Personal Survival.

Robertson is also a Senior Cruising Instructor Evaluator, training new Cruising Instructors, and was previously certified as an instructor in the CANSail Dinghy program. In 2010, she was invited to join the Cruising Club of America, and also became certified as a Royal Yachting Association Yacht Master Instructor.

She can also repair engines at sea, improvise on sail repairs and has significant knowledge of managing a boat for long passages.

She has also introduced many women to offshore sailing, often mentoring new crew on the joys of offshore, teaching them to be self-reliant but also to work as a team, while encouraging them to become more engaged with the sailing world.

“Whether charting complex offshore passages, managing real-world risks, or collaborating on the development of Sail Canada’s cruising and powerboat programs, my focus has always been on uplifting those around me. True success in our sport is measured by the confidence we inspire in others and the safe return of every crew to port.”

Additional information: https://www.sailing.ca/sail-canada-cruising-power-navigation-offshore-sailing-excellence-award/

Source: Sail Canada