Seahub announced the winners of its third Engineering Grant competition on Nov. 5. This year, a new collaboration between Seahub and Hill Maritime Group (HMG) allowed them to double the grant’s financial offering and include a placement service. Seahub awarded three prizes totaling $6,000 — $3,000 to first place, $2,000 for second place, and $1,000 to the third-place winner to go toward engineering courses. Other prizes included a free placement for a junior engineer provided by HMG, access to Seahub’s database of OEM manuals and technical datasheets, a Seahub Prime-level license with a Kick Start Account setup valued at more than $2,500, and two tickets to the Superyacht Technology Forum in Palma. They received 60 grant nominations, making selection challenging. “We wanted to get behind someone who was beginning the process of advancing through the ranks,” said Sam Wheaton, Seahub commercial director and former yacht engineer. “We also wanted to work with people who we felt could really benefit from an external sounding board.” Wheaton noted that it was an interesting year for nominations. “We saw more female engineers than ever, and more junior crewmembers were nominating senior crew,” he said. This is slightly unusual, as Wheaton shared that they usually see captains writing the majority of nominations. The 2024 winners are Lara Li Allasia of S/Y Fidelis, Matthew Ireland of M/Y Lance, and Becky Chen of Landing Craft Runnymede. Lara Li Allasia “We awarded Lara the top prize,” Wheaton said. “She was nominated by multiple people, all taking the time to explain why she deserves the award. She has been great to work with.” Ireland was nominated by his deckhand, who he has been mentoring in his journey to become an engineer. “He sounds like an impressive young guy.” Val McCourt, who taught at MPT until recently, nominated Chen, speaking of her dedication to working hard in a typically male-dominated field. “She is very switched on and ambitious,” Wheaton said. Plans are already in the works for next year’s grants. Want more engineering content? Check out Triton‘s Engineer’s Angle section.