Seahub Yacht Management Software has announced its fourth Engineering Grant winners: Charlie Armstrong, Jake Hutchinson, and Morné van Rooyen. The 2025 edition was the grant’s largest year to date with nominations from all corners of the industry, including crew, yacht managers, shipyards, and marine contractors. Crew were invited to nominate those who show a commitment to advancing their skills and knowledge, take pride in what they do, have a hands-on mindset and demonstrate initiative.
The winners will each receive $2,000 towards courses, two tickets to the Superyacht Technology Show, an engineering placement provided by Hill Maritime Group, and a Seahub license and account setup.
“It was an extremely rewarding process for us and Peter Hill at HMG who co-sponsored the grant prizes again this year,” says Sam Wheaton, commercial director and co-founder of Seahub. Those submitting nominations take the time to share their experiences of working with their colleagues and show that their contributions haven’t gone unnoticed, he shares.
“The winners this year brought several traits that we appreciated. Some leave highly decorated careers in adjacent industries to join the yachting industry, confident in their ability to contribute and be a valuable crew member — yet understanding there's a learning curve and working within a team where knowledge is shared is a great way to become proficient quickly,” Wheaton says. “Others understood they are in the formative years of their careers for gaining knowledge and approach every issue and breakdown as a learning opportunity.”
Nominations included crew members who not only performed their engineering jobs well but also supported others in their career endeavors, along with engineers who pivoted from other industries to pursue a life at sea.
“An engineer's attitude can make the difference between an issue on board being a positive experience or a forgettable one,” he says.