2024’s Ultimate Sea Views Revealed!

The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, has announced the winners of its twelfth annual photography competition, showcasing images relating to all aspects of the UK and Ireland’s historic relationship with the sea.

This year, the charity’s annual competition received nearly 700 quality entries from amateur and professional photographers alike, with the judging panel awarding the overall prize to Paul Newman for his entry, ‘The Beer Fleet’, an incredible landscape shot of five fishing vessels lining the shore, taken in Beer, Devon. The image won the photographer a £500 prize voucher for photographic equipment.

In addition to the overall prize, winners were also named in four categories:

• Coastal Views: Mike Morley – ‘Saltburn from the air’ taken in Saltburn, North Yorkshire
• Recreation: Paul Adams – ‘Links Market Europe’s Longest Street Fair’ taken in Kirkcaldy, Scotland
• Industry: Raymond Watson – ‘Catch of the day’ taken in Troon Harbour, Ayrshire
• Ships and Wrecks: Matt Menhenett – ‘EWNHEANS’ (Repair) taken in Padstow, Cornwall

The competition was judged at Trinity House earlier this month by a prestigious panel of photography experts, with picture editor of the i, Sophie Batterbury, and former Sunday Times picture editor, Ray Wells joining Chief Executive of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, Captain Justin Osmond RN.

The Society, which provides financial support to former seafarers and their dependants, encouraged photographers of all abilities to submit pictures that captured the essence of the UK’s enduring connection with the sea, including merchant ships, fishermen, coastline, harbours, ports and wildlife.

Captain Justin Osmond said, “In the twelfth year of the Ultimate Sea View photography competition, it is incredible to see the nation still enjoying our coastlines and supporting our maritime industry with a passion. Our seafaring community continues to face significant challenges every year despite the outstanding contribution it makes to our daily lives, so it is important that we are able to use the competition as a platform to acknowledge and celebrate the UK and Ireland’s maritime industry – and ensure that those working within it have access to vital support.

“We thought that Paul Newman’s winning image, ‘The Beer Fleet’, was such a bold image, and really showcased the best of Britain’s shorelines. Each boat, with its own unique character, encapsulates the hardworking essence of a coastal fishing community. It was particularly striking to the judges – and definitely an ‘Ultimate Sea View’. As always, on behalf of the Society, I would like to say a massive thank you to all of those who entered this year and hopefully we will see you back again in 2025!”

The Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society supports fishermen, merchant mariners and their dependants who are suffering financial hardship, whether due to accident, ill health, unemployment or in retirement after a life spent working at sea. A total of £1.35 million was paid in grants during the past year in over 1,850 cases of need.