Synergy Marine Group Seafarer Contest 2026 Winners
The tenth edition of the Synergy Marine Group Seafarer Contest brought together submissions from colleagues serving on approximately 400 vessels across the fleet.
Over the years, the contest has grown from a small in-house initiative into one of the shipping industry’s most widely participated seafarer contests of its kind. It invites colleagues at sea to document their work, their watches and their experience on board, in their own words, through their own lens, and from the reality of daily life at sea.
This year’s entries came from across all shipboard departments, with participation ranging from trainees and ratings to Masters and Chief Engineers. The photographs captured seamanship, watchkeeping and shipboard work in conditions that are rarely visible ashore. The videos showed the rhythm of life on board and the teamwork behind safe and efficient operations. The essays reflected on moments of judgment, responsibility and learning that define a career at sea.
Shortlisted entries were made available for viewing during a Groupwide engagement window from 12 to 19 June 2026. The final recognised entries were selected after review against the contest themes, operational authenticity, storytelling value, technical and editorial merit, and the breadth of participation across the fleet.
The winning entries below reflect the standard, discipline and pride of seafaring today. We thank every colleague who participated and helped make the tenth edition of the contest one of its strongest yet.
Photo Contest Winners
Under two categories, the winning entries were as follows:
Seamanship in Practice
Professional execution on board, captured without disrupting duties or operations. Operational work photographed only when safe and appropriate.
Winner
Fourth Engineer Arpit Gupta
GENCO DEFENDER
Award: USD 1000
Runner-up
Able Seaman Merwin Jose
BW LOYALTY
Award: USD 500
Judges' Commendation
Ordinary Seaman Ketan Deepak Shirsat & Deck Cadet Harsh Singh
ROKKO GALAXY
Award: USD 250
Special Mention
Captain Jose Perfecto B. Galan
RAGNAR
Award: USD 250
Winner
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Runner-up
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Life on Watch
Responsible moments during duty hours that reflect professionalism, teamwork and situational awareness.
Winner
Chief Officer Karl Paolo B. Dote
NORD MIYABI
Award: USD 1000
Runner-up
Second Officer Princeley D'Mello
PACIFIC OPAL
Award: USD 500
Judges' Commendation
Deck Cadet Muskan Gour
MH KONPIRA
Award: USD 250
Special Mention
Able Seaman Allan Poe Villalobos Ortega
AMIS XCEL
Award: USD 250
Winner
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Runner-up
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Video Contest Winners
Under two categories, the winning entries were as follows:
A Day on Board
A simple portrayal of a working day at sea, following tasks, interactions and routines.
Winner
Ordinary Seaman Tamilarasan Parivallal
GLOBE FRONTIER
Award: USD 1000
A well-presented video that captured the everyday discipline, teamwork and rhythm of shipboard life.
Runner-up
Chief Officer Balvinder Singh Gill
GENCO COLUMBIA
Award: USD 500
A warm and engaging portrayal of life on board and the bonds that develop among crew members at sea.
Winner
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Runner-up
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What Keeps the Ship Moving
How different roles and actions come together to keep a vessel operating safely and efficiently.
Winner
Ordinary Seaman Shubham Sharma
PACIFIC EMERALD
Award: USD 1000
A lively and sincere video reflecting the shared routines, relationships and everyday moments that shape life on board.
Runner-up
Second Officer Jovel P. Magdayao
NORD VOLANTE
Award: USD 500
A strong and engaging video that brought together work, teamwork and the human spirit that keeps a ship moving.
Winner
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Runner-up
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Essay Contest Winners
To mark Day of the Seafarer 2026, Synergy Marine Group invited seafarers across the fleet to reflect on a decision at sea – a moment of judgment, responsibility or learning that stayed with them. The recognised essays stood out for their honesty, professional insight and the way they captured the responsibility carried by seafarers every day.
IMO Theme, Day of the Seafarer 2026
Carrying world trade. Carrying the risks.
A reflection on the work and the responsibility of those at sea
The 2026 essay theme was :
A Moment That Mattered – A short reflective essay on a real decision or moment of judgment on board, focusing on responsibility, learning and contribution to safety, reliability or teamwork.
Decisions at Sea: A Moment That Mattered
ESSAY WINNER
Winner - USD 1,000
Staying with the Ship
Hifa Salim
Fifth Engineer
BW KIZOKU
Award: USD 1,000
Hifa Salim’s essay reflects on a difficult period when fear, uncertainty and duty came together. Set against the backdrop of a drifting vessel and a tense external environment, the essay captures the decision to remain steady, stay with the ship and trust the strength of teamwork. It is a powerful reflection on courage, responsibility and the quiet discipline expected of those at sea.
JOINT RUNNERS-UP
Two recognised essays - USD 500 each
The Glove Near the Lathe
Sidharth Dharmarajan
Fourth Engineer
STENA CONTENDER
Award: USD 500
Sidharth Dharmarajan’s essay centres on a near-miss during machinery work, when he noticed a worker wearing cotton gloves near a running lathe and acted immediately to stop the job. The essay is a sharp reminder that safety often depends on small observations, quick intervention and the confidence to speak up before an unsafe act becomes an incident.
Shall I Call the Master?
Joebert Canja
Chief Officer
AMIS XCEL
Award: USD 500
Joebert Canja’s essay describes a close-quarters navigation situation in which the key decision was not only technical, but professional: whether to call the Master in time. His account captures the judgment required on the bridge, the importance of escalation and the value of acting early when risk begins to develop.
The essay category sits at the heart of the Synergy Marine Group Seafarer Contest. It gives colleagues at sea a platform to reflect, in their own words, on the decisions, pressures and responsibilities that shape life on board.
These essays are published on Day of the Seafarer because the day is not only about recognition. It is also about listening – to the experience, judgment and professionalism of seafarers themselves.
Together, these three essays show that the most important decisions at sea are not always dramatic in appearance. Sometimes they are made in a moment of hesitation, a small observation, a timely call or a decision to remain steady under pressure.
Our thanks to every colleague who submitted an entry to the tenth edition of this contest, and to every Master, Chief Engineer and senior officer who encouraged colleagues to take part. The contest exists because of you.
We look forward to the eleventh edition in 2027
From all of us ashore, thank you.
