The safe and timely delivery of the world’s crucial oil supplies is not all about cruising along in calm blue seas with a light breeze and warm sun in the sky. The sheer, unbridled, raw power of the wind and the waves is nothing less than awesome, at times partially submerging even the biggest tankers.

Congratulations to Raimo Maakinen, former Radio Officer on the Monsun, in stormy weather en route across the North Atlantic to St John’s, who took this photo through a round porthole on the Monsun’s bridge (with a rotating wiper to clear the rain and spray). The light conditions were a lucky chance with just enough light and no rain – something that seldom happens for an amateur photographer during stormy conditions. He wins the USD 100 First Prize in INTERTANKO’s Heavy Weather Photo Competition. Congratulations also to the runners up whose contributions have been selected as the best of the dozens of photographs that have been sent in to us.

The sort order of the listing do not reflect any order of merit:

Monsun, North Atlantic (R. Maakinen)
Lunni, North Baltic (J. Kettunen)		Gediz, Gulf of Finland (K.D. Polat)
Vallermosa, Bay of Biscay (R. Landini)		Monte Granada, Finisterre (J.L. Chicheri)
Monsun, North Atlantic (R. Maakinen)
British Laurel, Indian Ocean (A. Thapa)		Cap Guillaume, St Lawrence (A.G. Silvitis)
Lunni, Gulf of Finland (J. Kettunen)		Alios Apollo, Greece (J. Skourtis)