The Chris Ellis award
Win up to £500 off the price of your next voyage!
Chris Ellis was one of the founders of the Ocean Youth Club in 1960. He left a fund to help crew members aged under 25 who have enjoyed sailing with us and would like to be able to afford to sail again the following year.
By 2018 the original Chris Ellis fund had all been used up but thanks to the generosity of someone who was, many years ago, inspired by Chris, the Award continues.
The idea of the Ocean Youth Trust and Ocean Youth Club grew out of Chris’s experience as a teacher sailing with schoolboys, and though it was not until 1960 that the Ocean Youth Club began, he was in fact running voyages for his pupils as far back as 1951. On that very first voyage was a 14-year old Peter Tracey, who has written this account of The Very First Voyage. Peter has been a very interested, kind and generous supporter of OYT South for some years, and thanks to him, the Chris Ellis Award lives on, and in publicising the award and appealing for entries every year, Chris’s name will continue to be seen by a new generation of young people sailing with us thanks to the idea first tried out in 1951.
In order to enter, you need to produce a piece of work based on a voyage with the Ocean Youth Trust. This can be a logbook, a diary, a picture, a story, a poem, a collage, a piece of computer art – whatever you like. Entries should be emailed to webmaster1@oytsouth.org, or posted to the office (mark the outside of the envelope “Chris Ellis Award entry”). Please also tell us your age and, if it isn’t already clear from your entry, which voyage you sailed on.
The closing date for entries is Christmas each year. Judging is done by Chris Ellis’s family and others who knew him – they are always delighted to see how the project that Chris started continues to inspire young people down the years.
OYT South can award up to £500 in the form of a discount off a future voyage.
The Chris Ellis Fund can reward effort as well as achievement. Generally, people should send in something which is all their own work; but if you needed some help, just tell us about it. A previous winner, who is blind, was supported by a sighted person to make a tactile scrapbook, for example.
We look forward each year to seeing what crew members can produce!
2025 Chris Ellis Award Winners
The top prize for the 2025 season are Lucy and Oli Heaton who created this Powerpoint about sailing with us, and gave a presentation at a sailing club all about it (click to see full presentation):
The runner-up prize is shared between Eleanor Fowles for this poem about a voyage last April (click on image to see full size):
And Athena Lawson for this picture entitled “Tethys”.
2024 Chris Ellis Award Winner
The top prize went to Ethan McConway, who was 12 when he sailed with us and wrote this poem:
The Ship, I, Sailed
by Ethan McConway
That frightful day I set sail anxiety gripped me strong.
I was leaving familiar land,
stepping off familiar sand,
on a journey ever so long.
However all was not lost,
for as the mighty boat tossed,
I put some new friendships to use.
On the ship I learned many new things,
about a game about a battle of good and evil
and the rulership of kings.
Life was a pleasure,
my memories of my time on board I shall truly treasure.
And although it was sailing which brought us together,
and I did feel a bit under the weather,
I will remember it forever,
as a time where I bonded and gained new interests,
because the friends I made are worth more than 1000 times the knowledge I earned.
Ethan’s entry added: “My time on the ship was truly memorable, I made new friends and learnt many new things time on board was a breeze and even though I did want to go home, a lot, the memories I made there have stayed with me, from showing off my rather small knowledge in knots from scouting on my first trip, the one my poem talks about, to me having rather interesting talks with the other people on board, about who could take what animals in a fight and them saying I couldn’t take a bunch of koalas, I think that was the animal, as I learned so much and travelled so far we even got the experience to sail the ship by ourselves home. I loved the activities we did so much, including Murder where I wasn’t the first one to kill a very sad Emma. We also had a log book where we wrote stories down in the night about the ship, and it got very deep, all in all this was a fantastic experience and I can’t wait to do more.”
The runner-up prize went to Sandie Lambert, aged 13. Her description of the voyage included this: “I just want to start off by saying thank you to all those who helped me get here. Wow! … It was by far the best experience I’ve had in a long while. So phenomenal I can’t put it into words. I saw a whole new light for me, it opened so many doors. Amazing views – the Needles I had never seen before. And the Staff Crew were just fantastic and all had the patience of saints. Supporting kids from anywhere with ANY disabilities and challenges. If you ever get the chance, leap for it immediately, I almost didn’t. If I hadn’t have gone, I don’t know where I’d be now, Thank you all so much.”
Sandie said this peaceful picture summed up her memory of the voyage:
2023 Chris Ellis Award winner
The top prize went to Phoebe Buchan, who was 13 when she sailed on a school voyage and wrote this poem:
That week in May
by Phoebe Buchan
That week in May
waking up everyday
To the sound of the waves crashing
And the crew members chatting
That week in May
Where I made new friends
the memories never end
The constant jobs i were given
And all the people who were driven
To be inspired
That week in May
From Southampton to Yarmouth
Then all the way back
I can now say I’m ready to attack
Any challenges that may come my way
I hope Prolific can always stay that way
Thank you to all the amazing leaders
That helped me to become an achiever
I hope with by luck
I could hopefully come back
And hopefully it will be just like
That week in May
There were two runners-up.
Lucas Judge was 12 when he painted this picture. The Red Arrows appear in the background as his voyage sailed past the Bournemouth Air Show (click to enlarge):
Keola Silver was 15 when she made this collage of activities which happened on her voyage (click to enlarge):
Congratulations to Phoebe, Lucas and Keola, who are all now eligible for discounted places to sail again this year.
2022 Chris Ellis Award winner:
The top prize went to Ollie Smith, who was 15 when he came on a voyage with his school and made this video:
There were two runners-up.
Rose MacInnes (17) did some fantastic art on her voyage and entered this fabulous picture for the award:
Rose also kindly offered to let us use this image to help the charity. Would anyone like a hi-res copy of the image file in exchange for a donation, so that you can get a print made up? Or does anyone have other ideas for using such a lovely picture? Email caroline.white@oytsouth.org to discuss; and we’ll talk to Rose about what she’s happy with.
And Aaron Thomas-Epstein (15) wrote and performed a sea shanty:
Chris Ellis’s daughter Emma said:
“Congratulations to Ollie, Rose and Aaron for their wonderful submissions.
Ollie’s video is a most skilful and moving tribute to Prolific and OYT South and I love the title, ‘Be prolific’…! I am hugely impressed by what Ollie has achieved and the sensitivity with which he has captured the spirit of adventure under sail in this video.
Chris Ellis was a great lover of creativity, and when he himself was at sea in his youth, he did many drawings and paintings, sang sea shanties and played his flute. Afterwards his life was dedicated to assisting young people not only to have adventurous challenges at sea, but also to express themselves through creative mediums, knowing that for many young people, this can be more meaningful than words. He spent much of his time as a teacher fostering in each individual what they were best at. It is with this in mind that we wished to make these awards to Ollie, for his skilful use of a medium that barely existed in Chris’s day, and to Rose for her painting and Aaron for his song that Chris would have thoroughly appreciated. He would have recognized the thought, effort and hard work that went into all these submissions.”
There were no winners in 2020 or 2021 due to the pandemic.
2019 Chris Ellis Award winner: Keira Webster, who was 13 when she wrote this poem:
My sailing experience
I will never forget my sailing trip
All the laughs we shared
And how much people cared
At first, I was shy
I couldn’t even say Hi
But as the days went on
I actually felt like I belonged
I met amazing crew and friends
Who I will truly know till the end
No matter how tired I was
I still persevered
And I overcame some of the things I feared
I have made true memories I will never forget
For example, Andy’s amazing bet
On how we should add an extra sail
I laughed to myself when I think how that failed.
Or the time on the beach I fell down the sand hole
Or the one where I almost banged my head on the pole
I sailed into Southampton the wind was on my side
Never before had I felt so alive
Those were good times I keep them close to my heart
I’m counting the day’s till next summer starts
I dream of being on Prolific once more
As I cross the Ocean with the birds as they soar.
The ocean just teases me time from time
Reminding me of my trip of a lifetime
I can’t wait to go back on a boat and do it again
I never want my passion to end
The 2019 runner-up was Alyssia Denness aged 15, who sent in this picture and accompanying text:
2018 Chris Ellis Award winner: Rachel Parry, who was 12 when she sailed with us and produced this model:
The text above Rachel’s model reads:
“Everyone was really friendly. So I started to talk to everyone. My watchleaders were so funny. I could never have imagined myself being on a boat. Being the helm. Cooking. I felt bubbly, brave, confident and happy. At the end I was sad to leave but it left me feeling happy and proud of myself. The feeling has lasted.”
The runners-up were:
Nikita Melnyk (14), a keen photographer who put together a great video using the images she had taken during her voyage.
Thomas Rowe (14), for a very lively and well-written account of his voyage – including lines like: “That night it was my watch’s turn to cook and we were told that we were doing Spaghetti. I was on onion cutting duty for the bolognese and it’s safe to say that it was a mistake. I received one or two complaints about how big I left the onion, with one person saying they thought it was golf ball.”
Harry Lack (14), who put a lot of effort into an account of his school voyage: “I had loads of fun getting to know the people from my school who I don’t know better and working together raising the sails and laughing listening to Vince doing impressions. It was the best five days of my time at school so far.”
2017 Chris Ellis Award winner: Pearl Harris, who was aged 19 when she sailed on a voyage organised by MACS, the charity for children born without eyes or with underdeveloped eyes. Pearl made a tactile scrapbook about her voyage:
The 2017 runner up was Jess Collingwood (16) for this voyage account.
2015 Chris Ellis Award winner: Parice Smith (14), who made a lively Powerpoint presentation about her voyage early in the season when she was aged 13.
2014 Chris Ellis Award winner: Emmeran Carl (16), whose colourful account of a voyage can be read here.
2013 Chris Ellis award winner: Ellesha Meadow Sams (14), which you can read here. Runner-up was Liam Portrey (16) with this:
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2012 Chris Ellis Award winners: Katie and Hannah Hillier for an amazing video.
2011 Chris Ellis Award winner: Jack Trevail – a painting inspired by the Tall Ships fleet the previous summer:
Highly commended: a poem by Robbie James – addressed to Wilt Hangs, John Laing’s spider plant. Wilt lived in a pot hanging from the saloon ceiling for many years.
2010 Chris Ellis Award winner: Chloe de Mornay’s account. Highly commended: this entry from Jack Trevail.
2009 Chris Ellis Award winner: Kizzie Bridgman with this. Highly commended: Ro Chamberlain’s entry and David Merison’s entry.
2008 Chris Ellis Award winner: Cami Rothe with this.