2006 SOUTHAM AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN MIAMI

Winners of the annual 2006 John Southam Awards for Excellence in Sailing Communications were announced Feb. 15 by Chief Judge Sally Helme at the Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail Press Conference.

In its 14th year, The Southam Awards broke records with 271 submissions – 108 more than the previous year - generating over 172 million media impressions. Judges awarded seven cash prizes totaling $11,000.

The $5,000 Grand Prize award and crystal sailboat was won by Laura Manske in the Magazines category for her article, "Our Favorite Summer Vacation,"published in the August 2006 issue of Family Circle. The article featured the intriguing account of a family learning to sail at a school in Florida and invited readers to try sailing themselves.

Category winners for $1,000 prizes included Eileen Ogintz for the Columns category for her nationally syndicated column entitled, "Taking the Kids," which reached over 10 million readers via Tribune Media Services distribution; Jane Lerner in the Newspapers Over 100,000 category for her article, "A Sport You Can do Forever'" published in the Journal News of West Nyack, NY – the Hudson River Valley Region with a circulation of 139,756; Barbara Veneri for the Newspapers Under 100,000 category for her article, "All Aboard" which ran in The Standard Times of New Bedford; Captain Bill Pinkney in the Books category, for "As Long As It Takes," a travel book and autobiography; Gary Jobson in the Expanded Outlets category, for his 2006 lecture series including 116 presentations to an estimated combined audience of 31,000; and The Oceanside Yacht Club, Oceanside, CA for the Website category, www.oceansideyc.com for successfully utilizing their website as a key marketing outreach tool to reach and attract 57 new members.

"Since our introduction of this award in 1992 to the media, the overall quality, diversity and breadth of coverage of sailing continues to improve," said Helme. "The entries were of very good quality and covered all shapes and size of sailing craft, with sailors of all skill levels and ages. Just like the sport and lifestyle of sailing, the 2006 entries showed that sailing has something to offer everyone."

The winning entries were announced via PR Newswire. The grand prize and winning category entries are posted on the www.southamaward.com website, along with the 2007 Southam Report newsletter.

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