Stories abound in yachting. Owners build yachts they have dreamed about for decades. Families embark on long-planned adventures around the world. Oftentimes, their yachts and their port visits make the headlines. The good that many of them do along the way, however, doesn’t. The Honours 2026 awards intend to not only reveal their positive impact, but also that of crewmembers, designers, and more.
The awards recognize superyachting change makers, as an initiative of the Superyacht Life Foundation. Founded a few years ago, this non-profit focuses on altering the conversation about luxury yachting. Local and national news stories, for instance, tend to portray owners and guests in negative light, regardless of country. The old adage “if it bleeds, it leads” applies to accidents such as sinkings and fires, too. For each of the past few years, hundreds of awards submissions have come in, signaling unshared good stories continue to unfold.
For The Honours 2026, the nominations committee particularly is seeking individuals who have significantly helped communities in need. Equally important, it’s seeking nominees who are actively protecting the oceans. Of course, people who have taken action reaching well outside of yachting are of interest as well.
For perspective, consider the winners of the awards last year. Angela Abshier (above), for example, has spent nearly six years diverting sails from landfills through Sail to Shelter. Thanks to her experience in the garment industry, she knew that clothing manufacturers had dead stock, or unsold inventory. It often gets thrown out. Once Abshier learned that sailing superyachts custom order their sails, she saw an opportunity. “There are tons and tons, quite literally, of dead superyacht sails,” she says. “So it felt really good to be able to think that we could use our waste as solutions for folks in need.”
Another winner last year is Francisca Cortés Solari, a native of Chile. She commissioned her yacht, Cachalote, to rely on sails and solar panels, and everything from decking to paneling is eco-friendly or derives from a sustainable source. Furthermore, Cortés Solari uses Cachalote to assist scientists in developing technology for vessels to avoid whale strikes. “We realized no such early-warning technology existed,” she says, adding that just one whale captures 33 tons of carbon over its lifetime. “That has an economic value of four million dollars for the ecosystem,” she points out.
Winners will be announced during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this October. They each receive a crystal award, The Bowsprit, representing the charting of new courses across oceans, cultures, and causes.
The Honours thehonours.org