Vote! – Windship association launches awards to hail start of decade of sail

The International Windship Association calls these coming ten years its decade of wind propulsion, and it is off to a flying start going by the number of actual retrofits currently in the water. The number of announced projects is also impressive, with technology companies finding a way to bring shipping companies and financiers to the table. So, ISWA’s second awards is an opportunity to highlight this development and the level of innovation that is being displayed from across the industry.

As editor of the Fathom.World site, and with a career-long investment in maritime innovation and change, I have been covering the developments within the nascent wind propulsion industry, if one can call it that. I have seen companies struggle a few years ago, some vanishing under the burden of turning innovation into a real life size working demonstration on a ship.

But there have also been success stories particularly recently; the stories that demonstrate the tenacity and sheer determination of entrepreneurs who believe that the shipping industry needs to think outside of its modern constraints to move forward, even if this means looking back at history to find inspiration.

I was invited to be one of the judges by ISWA to help reduce the huge number of entries down to a shortlist. No easy job, each category had a list of nominations all worthy of mention for one reason or another.

But now that the other judges and I have done our work, it is now down to you to do the next part and vote from the shortlist to find winners for the four categories open for public voting. These four areas are the innovation award, technology user award, propulsion project award and small vessel award.

Please do vote, follow this link to find the nominations in the shortlist and make your choice. Voting is open until November 7th, 2021, with the winners being announced online on November 11th in Glasgow (to help raise awareness during COP 26, of the efforts being made to transform shipping).

ISWA members will be voting on three additional categories (completed research award, proposed research award and an award for outstanding contribution to the wind propulsion sector).

Craig Eason

Craig Eason is the owner and editorial director of Fathom.World. He has a background in the shipping industry having started his career as a cadet on oil tankers and gas carriers before becoming a navigating officer on a range of vessel types. A change in career, with ensuing university studies, and he has now gained 20 years experience in written and broadcast journalism. He now is in demand as a knowledgeable and competent editor and event host and moderator, both for in-house events and ones for the public.