Mike is probably best known as the owner of Conspiracy as well as for his "slow" racing exploits in Keelboat Week and using his boat as a Committee Boat. What people might not know about are his cruising exploits to Iceland, Faroes, Shetland, Scilly Isles, Ireland and the West Coast and Islands of Scotland. He is a two times winner of the SCYC Oddie Plate, awarded for the best log.
He has been the editor of the annual Cruising Association Almanac for West Coast England and East Coast Scotland sections for a few years now. Updating and checking everything according to Admiralty Chart amendments and Marina changes during the winter months and making sure that everything printed in the new almanac is up to date in his areas.
Since Covid, he has also been involved in the collation of data for the newly launched “CAptain's Mate” cruising App in which members can find and enter details of any anchorage, port, harbour, and marina throughout the world. The App includes things that are not normally in an almanac or pilot book, like local restaurants, pubs and unexpected hazards within an anchorage, as well as local navigation knowledge. Mike is responsible for collating and entering for the areas of East Coast Scotland, Faroes and Iceland.
There have been a few that have made a significant difference to the quality of the location-based cruising information through their work editing the Almanac, CAptain's Mate and the Cruising Guides. Mike has been one of these people hence him being awarded the Polaris Award in recognition of all his hard work and valuable contribution.
Well done Mike.