2026 Log and Photo Competitions: are you capturing this year’s cruising adventures?

Every cruising season creates memories worth preserving: a challenging passage, a spectacular anchorage, a chance wildlife encounter, or simply the pleasure of time spent afloat with family and friends.

The CA's annual Log and Photo Competitions celebrate these moments and the stories behind them. Whether you keep a traditional log, share your adventures through photography, create videos, or document your travels online, now is the perfect time to start recording your season and perhaps win a prize too.

Entries for both competitions open on 1 October 2026 and close on 31 December 2026.

Log Competition - every passage has a story

For more than a century, the CA Log Competition has showcased the experiences, achievements and adventures of cruising members. Today, the competition reflects the many ways we tell our stories, so whether you prefer words, photos, blogs, vlogs or social posts, it is easier than ever to share your adventures of life afloat.

Whether you are planning a major offshore passage, a summer cruise abroad, a series of weekend escapes, or family adventures under sail or power, your experiences could inspire fellow members and become part of the CA's rich archive of cruising knowledge.

Excerpt from the 2025 winning log entry for the Generations at Sea Trophy from Beau Cooper

Except for photo- and video-specific awards, all categories welcome any digital format:

• Hanson Cup: Log of the Year: awarded at the judge’s discretion
• Lacey Trophy: Extended Cruise Log: the best log covering an extended cruise of >30 consecutive days.
• Love Cup: Short Cruise Log: for those weekend getaways or month-long adventures of <30 consecutive days
• Dugon Cup: Small Boat Cruise Log: honours the most compelling account of simple, low-key cruising on boats ≤34’ LOA.
• PBO Award: Photographic Log: a voyage shared through a sequence of technically excellent and artistic images, supported by minimal text.
• Hammett Trophy: Crewing Service Log: best log from a trip arranged through the CA Crewing Service, submitted by a skipper or crew.
• osCA: Video Log: for the best short film celebrating a cruising adventure.
• New Horizons Trophy: Debut Log: exclusively for first-time entrants. If you are a member who has never entered before, this is for you.
• Generations at Sea Trophy: Family Cruising Log: celebrates adventures that inspire young sailors. At least one child under 16 must be on board.

Members can read the winning logs, along with all other entries from previous years .

Photo Competition - show us your cruising world

Have you captured the perfect sunrise departure? A dramatic squall approaching across the horizon? A memorable moment shared with family, crew or newfound friends? Whatever your 2026 season gives you, we want to see it through your lens.

2025 Winner: Looking towards Goat Fell from the Firth of Clyde, Scotland
©Neil O'Connor

2024 Winner: Atlantic Rollers
©James Kenning

The CA Photo Competition celebrates the beauty, challenge and enjoyment of cruising in all its forms. We welcome images that capture life afloat, the places we visit, the people we meet along the way, both on the water and ashore:

• The boat: vessels under sail or power or dramatic seascapes.
• Life onboard: camaraderie, challenges and simple pleasures of life afloat.
• Destinations and wildlife: stunning landscapes, picturesque harbours or nature encounters.
• The big picture: aerial (drone) shots that offer a unique perspective.

The strongest images do more than record a scene; they combine technical skill and creative composition to tell a story and convey something of what it felt like to be there.

You can browse past winners for inspiration: 2025 / 2024 / 2023 / 2022.

There is no limit to the number of photographs members can enter. So, keep your camera close at hand and start capturing your entries now, ready for when the competition opens.

Key dates

Entries to both the Log and Photo Competitions will open on 1 October 2026 and close on 31 December 2026.