10 March 2015 The Royal Cruising Club has presented NCI with its Medal For Services To Cruising. The award presentation took place on 5 March at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in London.

The award is in recognition of NCI's first twenty years and the growing contribution the Charity is making to the safety of yachts at sea. The medal was presented to NCI Chairman Alan Richards (pictured) who accepted it on behalf of all NCI Watchkeepers.

News of the award on the Royal Cruising Club web site says: "The Medal for Services to Cruising has been awarded to the National Coastwatch Institution on the 20th anniversary of their founding. They are now an established part of safety at sea and keep watch from 50 lookouts over both the sea and the coastline. Their importance has now been officially recognised with the awarding of their own VHF channel - channel 65. If you are sailing past one of their lookouts they will be pleased to hear from you and in return can offer weather and local advice - don’t hesitate to give them a call. They perform an enormous service as they log our coastal passages, and the 2000 trained watchkeepers give their time freely. They are worthy winners of the Medal for Services to Cruising."

The Royal Cruising Club, which was formed in 1880, is an influential organisation in the world of serious sailing and membership is limited to those whose cruising record places them among the most significant sailors of their generation. More about the Royal Cruising Club can be found on its web site at www.rcc.org.uk.