Jan Beydals is awarded the Fred Norris Memorial Blue Water Trophy -- speech by Blair Cliffe on April 29, 2023

The Fred Norris memorial Blue Water Trophy

Fred Norris was a Commodore of DYC and pioneer of offshore sailing in New Zealand.

When the first Round North Island race took place, a call went out to members to provide trophies. The Fred Norris trophy was provided by Fred’s family and the sextant you see was Fred’s own, used at sea and to teach astro navigation here in the club house.

Jan Beydals - winner Fred Norris Memorial Blue Water Trophy, 2023

The trophy was awarded to the first three winners of the round North Island Race as well as for a ‘meritorious act of seamanship in a sailboat’.

Past awardees are Dame Naomi James in 1979 as the first woman to have sailed single-handed around the world via Cape Horn. In 1981 the award went to some chap called Sir Peter Blake for his efforts in Ceramco. I think I may have heard of him…

Other such sailors as Gerry Clark and David Lewis have won the trophy for sailing to the Antarctic.

Commodre Blair cliffe presents Jan Beydals with the Fred Norris memorial Blue Water trophy. 29 april 2023.

Tonight, we are to present the trophy to Jan Beydals, not for one particular trip but for a number of them over many years,

Jan’s family owned a 31’ steel boat back in Holland and with time, Jan took over the majority of her maintenance. His father gave him permission to take her to Curacao where the plan was that he would complete his studies.

I’m not sure how much studying he did, but he was having such a good time that he decided he was not going back — a decision his parents accepted but his brothers have only just forgiven him for.

So between 1983 and 1987, Jan sailed on, single-handed to New Zealand through the Caribbean and South Pacific. He was obviously in no rush.

On arrival, he did settle down and get stuck into work.

In 2006 Jan bought Tumua (Pacific 38’). In 2011 he completed a round NZ trip. In 2017 he set off with the Island Cruising Association but lost his rig whereupon he motored back to New Zealand. After a 3-month delay, he completed the cruise around the Pacific taking in Vanuatu, the Solomons, the Philippines, Japan, Hawaii, the Marquesas, and home.

In 2019 he sailed to Tonga and Samoa; in 2020 he sailed around the North Island; in 2022 the Chathams. In 2023 he’s been preparing to sail for the Philippines for a 2-year sojourn.

All his sailing has been largely solo, and we feel it right to recognise his achievements with this trophy.