Rev Bob Shepton, s/v Dodo's Delight

No-one could deny that Bob Shepton would be a worthy winner for 2012. The account of his two-month voyage through the Northwest Passage aboard his Westerly 33 Dodo’s Delight with a crew of four South African climbers, stopping to make various ‘first ascents’ along the way makes for fascinating reading.

In a full and varied life, Bob Shepton has been a Royal Marines officer, a full time youth leader down the east end of London and Kilburn, and Chaplain to two schools. Since retiring, he has tended to leave the pulpit for the cockpit of his yacht, 'Dodo's Delight'. Through countless seasons of exploring he has become a leading expert on the waters around Greenland, winning the The Royal Cruising Club Tilman Medal twice for his exploits. His articles appear regularly in the international yachting press. Bob is a member of The Ocean Cruising Club, The Royal Cruising Club, The Alpine Club and The Arctic Club.

'Dodo's Delight' is a Westerly 33ft Discus built in 1980. The current yacht is the second 'Dodo's Delight' and is an almost exact replica of the first which was destroyed by fire while wintering in the ice in Greenland in 2005. She is pivotal to Bob's expeditions