RIP Maurice Pilkington

Betty & Maurice were well-known CBYA members, and owned a beautiful Hallberg Rassy 32 named Maid of Moraira. They sold the yacht in 2012, when it became too much for them, and relocated from Moraira to their house in Andorra.

Maurice came to sailing in his late 40’s when he and two friends decided to buy an Enterprise dinghy, which they sailed off the beach in Gaza. He worked with the United Nations and was stationed in Jerusalem. His friends taught him to sail. He then bought a Leisure 17 which he sailed from Tel Aviv to Cyprus single handed. Then onto a Westerly Pembroke when he was stationed in Cyprus. With this, he explored the SE coast of Turkey with the family joining him in the Summer holidays. Finally, on retirement, he bought Maid of Moraira that he kept in Moraira marina for many years. He bought his marina berth ‘off plan’ and watched it being built! He bought the ‘Maid’ new and had her delivered to Southampton. Her maiden voyage was a glorious run in beautiful sunshine across Biscay with three crew then slowly round to Moraira. Two years later, he joined the amateur ARC race in its second year across the Atlantic, and then kept the Maid in the Caribbean for three seasons, exploring all the islands. Finally, he returned, this time single handed, back to Moraira. Click HERE to read more. After that he mostly stayed in the Western Med, participating in many of the club races to Ibiza. One year, he won the prize for the most elderly crew! He was proud to be the Alicante representative of the Cruising Association for a while, and must have been one of the first members of the CBYA.

Images: Left – on the beach in the early days/centre – Maurice & Betty/right – with Brenda & Diana

Maurice donated his sextant to the CBYA in 2013, and it now presented as the CBYA Pilkington Award for long-standing, significant contribution to the club. It was kindly mounted by Johny Tweedale. The first presentation of this award was to Rachel Garnham in 2013. It was later also presented to Richard Jones (2014), Jackie Mudge (2015), Johny Tweedale (2016) and (posthumously) to Karlheinz Witte (2018). It is not awarded annually.  (CBYA Maurice Pilkington Award – Costa Blanca Yacht Association)

Our thoughts and condolences are with his family.

Hugh Epsom

Chairman

12 November 22