Stunning photo of Newhaven ferry wins national prize

The competition, run by the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, was judged aboard the HQS Wellington in London, by a prestigious panel of media and maritime experts.

The panel included; Sunday Times picture editor Ray Wells, i picture editor Sophie Batterbury, the Amateur Photographer magazine's Oliver Atwell and the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society chief executive Commodore Malcolm Williams.

After receiving almost 800 entries from around the UK, the judges unanimously picked amateur snapper David Lyon’s dynamic photograph ‘Nice day for a Cruise’ as the competition's overall winner.

Commenting on the choice, Ray Wells said: “All the judges were struck by this image because it almost looks like an engraving. David was one of the very few photographers to capture the true power of the sea and the difficulties seafarers encounter at work.”

As a prize Mr Lyon, will enjoy a seven-day Mediterranean cruise for two, kindly donated by MSC Shipping Company. All winners will have the opportunity to attend the 177th Annual General Meeting of the society in October where their work will be showcased and they will meet those involved with the charity.

A number of other Sussex photographers also performed well in the competition after being named in a judge's shortlist.

They include stunning shots by photographers Carole Baker, Jen Thorpe, Steve Kness, Paul Turner and Jessica Spencer. The shortlisted photos can be seen in the video above.

Commodore Malcolm Williams said: “We created the competition with the aim of finding an image that best portrays our country’s enduring relationship with the sea, in order to raise awareness of the Society’s work. We have had some outstanding entries from across the United Kingdom which not only encapsulate that enduring relationship, but also acted as a platform for people to celebrate their own special piece of our coastline. The judges had a very difficult task.

Now in its 177th year, the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society provides financial assistance to fishermen, mariners and their dependants who are suffering hardship, whether due to accident, ill health, unemployment or in retirement after a life spent working at sea. In the last year the Charity handled over 500 new applications for assistance and distributed £1.4 million in 2,000 cases of need.

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