Olympic gold medalists Hannah Mills MBE (GBR) and Eilidh McIntyre (GBR) were voted female 2021 Rolex World Sailor of the Year on Thursday 2 December in a virtual ceremony streamed live from the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, UK.

Australia’s Tom Slingsby has won the male 2021 Rolex World Sailor of the Year in celebration of his achievements in three competitive classes over the past two years.

Mills and McIntyre claimed gold in Tokyo in the 470 class, a victory which made Mills the most successful female Olympic sailor of all time. This was her second Olympic gold, repeating her victory from Rio 2016 with her new partner. McIntyre won her first gold medal in Tokyo and followed in the footsteps of her father, Michael, who won gold at the 1988 Games in Seoul. The pair received 37% of the votes, making them the clear choice for this year’s female Rolex World Sailor of the Year award.

Slingsby secured 29 percent of the votes after defending his Moth World Championship, winning 13 of the 14 races, securing back-to-back 2019 and 2021 title wins. He has also set the standard in the global SailGP circuit, earning the season 1 title as Team CEO and Skipper of TeamAustralia, which is also currently top of the series leaderboard with just two events remaining in season 2. He capped a fantastic year on the water by being part of the crew of Comanche, winners of the 2021 Rolex Middle Sea Race.

A record-breaking 40,000 votes were cast this year to honour the achievements of sailors across all disciplines.

Speaking live at the awards ceremony, Hannah Mills, who is also a sustainability ambassador for the International Olympic Committee said, “I am completely blown away. The lineup this year was absolutely incredible. I am so proud of Eilidh for everything she put into this Olympic campaign, she was the absolute best teammate. I am really honored. I feel privileged to be a female in sailing right now, there are so many opportunities out there. I really hope to be a part of forging the pathway for female sailors of today and for the future. It is inspirational to be part of a federation like World Sailing who take sustainability so seriously and I feel so lucky to be involved in such an amazing sport.”

Eilidh McIntyre added, “I just want to say thank you to Hannah, and everyone for voting for us and for all of your support. We wouldn’t be here without all of the amazing women pushing us.”

Tom Slingsby said, “This is a huge honor for me. Thank you to everyone who voted. I remember when I was 15 years old, I wrote down my career goals and it was to win the Olympic Gold medal, win the America’s Cup and win World Sailor of the Year. I am very fortunate, this is the second time I have won the World Sailor of the Year award. I am so lucky to be in the position I am and to get these amazing opportunities. Congratulations to all the other guys, there were some unbelievable sailors nominated this year.”

World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award

The World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award went to the Sail Africa Youth Development Foundation for increasing the participation of ethnically diverse and female sailors in Durban, South Africa. In the time since launching, the number of girls racing has increased and podium positions have improved year on year. Sailing is now a much more multicultural sport.

The program has doubled as a life skills initiative, ensuring positive sustainable outcomes around alleviating poverty, reducing inequality, developing education and creating environmental awareness. The foundation won the Ethekwini Maritime Cluster Award for Empowering Youth in 2017 and was profiled as part of this year’s World Sailing Steering the Course program.

The 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award celebrates the effective execution or ongoing delivery of high-impact, highly replicable sustainability initiatives that work to protect and restore the health of the ocean, and are aligned with the World Sailing Sustainability Agenda 2030. The award is open to National Federations, sailing clubs, event organizing committees, individual sailors, or any other sailing-related organizations.

The Sail Africa Youth Development Foundation will receive a 10,000 USD prize from 11th Hour Racing to fund their continued sustainability efforts as well as the iconic trophy made from recycled carbon fiber from an America’s Cup boat, infused with bio resin.

Nigel Milln, Chairman of Sail Africa, said, “This award really means a lot to us and Sail Africa. Our focus on racing sustainability and looking after our oceans is a huge benefit to Africa and to smaller development bodies like ourselves. It gives encouragement to the rest of the world that together we can make a difference. We are contributing to the newly-developed South Africa and giving enthusiasm and confidence to the people through sailing. It is an amazing thing that sailing does for everybody and we are very grateful to be a part of it.”

Todd McGuire, managing director, 11th Hour Racing, said, “Congratulations to the four finalists of the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award. You were chosen from a highly competitive group of non-profit organizations, teams, individuals, events, sailing classes, and manufacturers. You are the innovators within the sailing industry, focused on the sustainability of our sport and restoring the health of our ocean.”

Quanhai Li, World Sailing President, said, “Sailing is blessed with so many talented, determined and accomplished athletes. The accomplishments of this year’s nominees are truly inspirational and every one of the sailors on the shortlist deserves to win Rolex World Sailor of the Year. My congratulations go to Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre, and Tom Slingsby. We look forward to seeing what you do next.

“I would like to also draw special attention to Sail Africa Youth Development Foundation, winner of the 11th Hour Sustainability Award. This has been a life-changing project and ensures that under-represented communities have the opportunity to take part while showing that the sport prioritizes responsible development and inclusion. The potential for this project to be replicated is huge and it will make a lasting difference to the sport and to the world.”

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The line-up of Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2019 nominees has been announced by World Sailing, the world governing body of the sport, and Rolex, the leading name in prestige watches that includes watches engineered specifically for sailing. Three female and four male nominees represent the success stories in the beautifully diverse and dynamic sport of sailing. Young and old nominees truly highlight the sport as one that can be participated in at the highest level throughout a sailor’s career. The nominees have performed at the highest level over the last 12 months and continue to inspire globally.

The 2019 Rolex World Sailor of the Year female nominees are: Delphine Cousin Questel (FRA) – 2018 PWA World Tour Slalom World Champion, Violeta del Reino (ESP) – 2019 Para World Sailing Championship Hansa 303 World Champion, and Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) – 2019 Laser Radial World and European Champion.

Dominance has become the norm for Cousin Questel who, throughout the nomination period, has won seven PWA World Tour events in the slalom and foil disciplines.

A mainstay on the PWA World Tour since 2010, Cousin Questel won every slalom event in 2018. Success at the Fly! ANA Windsurf, Ulsan and Viana PWA World Cup Slalom rounds ensured she finished 400 points clear of her nearest rivals to claim the 2018 Women’s Slalom World Championship title. The world title was Cousin Questel’s third and her first since 2014 after Sarah-Quita Offringa (ARU) dominated the circuit. The French windsurfer, whose first world title came in 2013, continued to succeed in both slalom and foil in 2019.

To date, Cousin Questel has won the 2019 Marignane and Ulsan PWA World Cup Slalom titles with a second place at the Waterz Festival in Hvide Sande, Denmark and leads the race to become 2019 World Champion. In the foil discipline, she won the 2019 Fly! ANA Windsurf and Ulsan PWA World Cup and is on track to make it two world titles in 2019.

Spain’s Violeta del Reino has become a leading light at the Para World Sailing Championships, racing in the Women’s Hansa 303 division. The Spanish racer won the inaugural title in Kiel, Germany in 2017 before finishing third at the 2018 edition in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

A Rio 2016 Paralympian in the SKUD18, del Reino went into the 2019 Para World Sailing Championships, held in Cadiz, Spain in July, determined to win back the crown she narrowly missed out on in 2018. Heading into the final race on her home waters, the fight for the gold medal was not so clear-cut with most of the six-boat Medal Race fleet still in with a chance at a podium spot.

But it was del Reino who kept her composure to clinch the final victory, and with it, the gold medal in her home country.

On the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, regular success in the Laser Radial has been hard to come by. Danish sailor Anne-Marie Rindom has broken that trend, finding the right rhythm and form as the clock ticks down the 2020 Olympiad as she bids to upgrade her Rio 2016 bronze medal.

In July 2019, Rindom secured her second Laser Radial world title in Sakaiminiati, Japan, highlighting her as a favourite for Tokyo 2020. Her World Championship success has not been isolated and throughout 2019 alone she has won four gold medals at high-profile events.

Before she headed to Japan for the 2019 World Championship, Rindom secured gold at the Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia Regatta in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. She then topped the standings at her second consecutive event after she won in light and challenging wind conditions at the Hempel World Cup Series event in Genoa, Italy. Just weeks later she made it three in a row by securing the European Championship title in Porto, Portugal, moving to World #1 as a result. Most recently, Rindom finished second on Olympic waters at the Hempel World Cup Series Enoshima event.

On the male side, the list includes: Antoine Albeau (FRA) – PWA World Tour Slalom World Champion; Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) – 2019 470 World, European and Hempel World Cup Series Champions; Marco Gradoni (ITA) – 2018 and 2019 Optimist World Champion; and Francis Joyon (FRA) – Route du Rhum winner

At 47 years old, Albeau claimed his 25th world title in the Pro Windsurfers Association World Tour in 2018 – and he is showing no signs of slowing down. Albeau started windsurfing aged five and in 1992 he turned professional. Since then he has accumulated national and international titles to position him as one of the greatest windsurfers of all time.

A specialist in slalom racing, freestyle and waves, Albeau fended off competition from 117 slalom racers in 2018 to claim the PWA World Tour Slalom world title. Across the six-race series, Albeau finished outside the podium just once, using all of his experience to claim a convincing victory against a younger fleet of racers. He also finished third in the 2018 Foil World Championship.

In 2019, Albeau remains in the hunt for a 26th world title and is third overall in slalom after four events. In addition to his World Championship success, Albeau also holds the fastest speed recorded on a windsurfer, reaching 53.27 knots in 2015.

Remarkable consistency, outstanding performance and gold medals are synonymous to Australian 470 sailors Mat Belcher and Will Ryan. The Australian duo are the leading lights in the Men’s 470 and over the last 12 months they have set the performance bar higher than ever.

Throughout the nomination period, the pair have won when it’s really mattered. They first clinched the 470 European title in San Remo, Italy in May – their fourth European title together. They followed up with victory at the Hempel World Cup Series Final in Marseille, France before heading to Enoshima, Japan, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic venue, for a triple header that would define their year.

Up first, the 470 World Championship in a 52-boat fleet. The pair were set for a straight shootout for gold against Spanish rivals in the Medal Race, but their opponents’ OCS handed the title to the Australians. It was the pair’s fifth world title together and Belcher’s eighth in total.

Ready, Steady Tokyo – Sailing, the Olympic test event, followed just days later and once again the Australians prevailed by a narrow margin. Belcher and Ryan then signed off their Japanese tour with their third gold medal in almost as many weeks as they took the Hempel World Cup Series Enoshima honors. Their success on Olympic waters has positioned them firmly as favourites for Tokyo 2020 and on current form, it’s hard to picture anyone stopping them.

Touted as the most talented and accomplished sailor of his age group, Gradoni’s results throughout the nomination period certainly highlight that statement. Gradoni won the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Optimist World Championship, demonstrating his potential but he made history in 2019 as he won the largest ever Optimist World Championship. More than 250 sailors from 65 nations lined up in Antigua and Gradoni excelled, taking the World Championship title for the third consecutive year alongside winning the 2019 Optimist Team Racing Championship with his Italian team-mates.

Outside of his World Championship success, Gradoni has finished first in every Optimist event he has participated in since September 2018. He started the period off by winning the 2018 Optimist World Championship in Cyprus for the second time, with 9 victories from 10 races. In the spring he topped 940 boats to take the Garda Meeting title for the second year in a row. The final event of his Optimist career was the 2019 World Championship where he won seven of 12 races to claim the title once again. Throughout the nomination period, he won 14 consecutive gold medals, marking him as a star of the future. If at first you don’t succeed, try again and again and again. Having sailed his first Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe in 1990, Francis Joyon never lost sight of winning the famous solo transatlantic race. He finished second in 2010 and came through in sixth in 2014, but all the near misses were about to change in 2018 as he set sail in his eighth edition of the race.

In the closest finish since the event was first staged in 1978, the French ocean racing veteran won the 40th anniversary Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe solo transatlantic race from Saint Malo to Pointe-À-Pitre.

In the clammy heat and light winds of the Caribbean night, the 62-year-old glided across the finish line on IDEC Sport at 23:21.47 local time on 10 November to beat the poster boy of French offshore sailing, François Gabart on MACIF by just seven minutes and eight seconds.

Joyon’s victory concluded a thrilling finale in the ULTIME class as he defeated 123 skippers across six classes and set a new record time for the 3,542-nautical mile course of just seven days, 14 hours and 21 minutes. Having trailed Gabart for much of the race, MACIF sustained some damage which handed IDEC Sport the initiative. But it wasn’t until the famous Basse Terre buoy, 24-miles out from the finish, that Joyon grabbed the lead. This resulted in a side-by-side drag race to the finish as Gabart clawed back time with better light wind performance. Joyon managed to hold on to claim a famous victory.

The female and male winners will be announced at the World Sailing Awards Ceremony in Bermuda on 29 October 2019. Each winner will be presented with the unique marble and silver trophy depicting the globe, crowned with five silver spinnakers representing the continents, together with a Rolex timepiece.

World Sailing also announced its nominees for the 2019 Hempel Team of the Year Award, with entries from Australia, Switzerland and the USA in the running. Switzerland’s Alinghi, the Australian SailGP Team, Wild Oats XI of Australia and the American boat Wizard all feature on the shortlist following their success over the last 12 months of high-performance international competition.

The Hempel Team of the Year Award celebrates teams of two or more sailors who personify the sporting values of integrity, ambition, resilience and resourcefulness.

The shortlist was drawn up by Yann Rocherieux, Chairman of World Sailing’s Athletes’ Commission and World Sailing Board Member; Thomas Olsen, Decorative and Yacht Marketing Director at Hempel, World Sailing’s Official Coatings Partner; Stan Honey, Chairman of the Oceanic and Offshore Committee; Eddie Warden Owen, CEO of the Royal Ocean Racing Club; and Andy Rice, leading sailing journalist.

The judging panel will vote on the winner before they are announced on Tuesday 29 October 2019 at the World Sailing Awards in Bermuda.

Following Alinghi‘s creation in 1994, the Swiss team have enjoyed global success including victories at the 31st and 32nd America’s Cup. Spearheaded by Ernesto Bertarelli and Arnaud Psarofaghis, the team continued to add to their trophy cabinet in the D35 and GC32 with global regatta victories at the end of 2018 and throughout 2019.

In the 2018 Extreme Sailing Series, racing the GC32, they concluded the year with a second place in San Diego, USA before winning the final event of the series in Los Cabos, Mexico. This handed them their fourth Extreme Sailing Series title.

Alinghi‘s success in the GC32 continued in 2019. They started the GC32 Racing Tour with a second place in the Villasimius Cup before winning the 2019 World Championship in style with eight victories during the 18-race series in Lagos, Portugal. A second place followed at the 38th Copa del Rey MAPFRE before another victory at the GC32 Riva Cup. After four events they are poised to claim the series win.

And in the 16th and final season of the D35 Trophy, Alinghi triumphed for the eighth time, winning four of seven events to take the silverware.

Led by Australian Olympic gold medalist and America’s Cup winner Tom Slingsby, the Australian SailGP Team have dominated the first season of SailGP, the fan-centric grand prix sailing series. At the series opener on their home waters in Sydney, Slingsby and his team of experienced America’s Cup, Olympic and Ocean Race sailors controlled the fleet of six and defeated their nearest rivals, Japan’s SailGP Team, skippered by Nathan Outteridge.

Further success followed for Slingsby in San Francisco before the Japanese team hit back with an event win in New York. The Australian team then returned to the top of the leaderboard by winning their third event in Cowes, Great Britain, booking them a place in Marseille’s million-dollar Match Race Final where they faced familiar foe Outteridge and his Japan team.

At the beginning of the race, Slingsby and the Australian team handed the Japanese an advantage after receiving a penalty for entering the start box early, but soon caught up with their rivals. Outteridge then looked to force a penalty on Slingsby which backfired, handing the Australians a lead that they never relinquished to win the SailGP Season 1 trophy and US$1 million.

Wild Oats XI continue to set the bar in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and in 2018, Mark Richards’ team of 20, which includes some of the world’s most talented and applauded sailors with backgrounds in the America’s Cup, Olympic Games and The Ocean Race, won the coveted line honors title for the ninth time.

Retirements in 2015 and 2016, followed by a one-hour penalty in 2017, saw the famous Wild Oats XI miss out on the line honors title that they had won a record eight times the ten years prior. But in 2018, alongside navigator Juan Vila, Richards and the crew put that three years of misery behind them.

The team were locked in a four-way battle between Black Jack, Comanche and InfoTrack throughout the 628 nautical mile race. Up until two hours before the finish, the race was still wide open, but Wild Oats XI managed to put enough distance in between themselves and their rivals to win by less than 30 minutes and extend their winning line honors record.

David and Peter Askew’s team on Wizard have enjoyed a highly successful 2019, dominating the offshore circuit. Skippered by Charlie Enright, the team featured offshore veterans such as Will Oxley, Richard Clarke and Mark Towill and won the 2019 RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy, scoring the best corrected time under IRC. Their near-faultless performance saw them complete the 600-mile non-stop race in 43 hours, 38 minutes and 44 seconds.

With success in the Caribbean under their belt, they headed to Europe in search of Rolex Fastnet Race honors. Sailing in the West to East Transat Race, the team fought SHK Scallyway for line honors, a boat some 30 feet longer than Wizard. Although they fell just seven hours short during the ten-day sail, Wizard‘s speed was enough to claim a comprehensive IRC 1 victory.

Enright, Towill, Oxley and the team continued to sail immaculately and at the Rolex Fastnet Race they again fought larger boats to punch above their weight. The power of Rambler 88 eventually came through, but Wizard were once again crowned IRC overall winners, marking an unrivalled period of offshore success.

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The 2017 World Sailing Awards also saw the presentation of the Beppe Croce Trophy and the President’s Development Award.

The Beppe Croce Trophy is awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding voluntary contribution to the sport of sailing. Carlo Croce, President of World Sailing from 2013 – 2016 received the trophy.

Stan Honey was the recipient the President’s Trophy, an award that recognises an individual for their work in developing sailing.

Bouwmeester bounces back

After claiming gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and then a well-earned victory at the 2016 World Cup Series Final in Melbourne, Australia, Marit Bouwmeester (NED) was overcome with repetitive injuries.

The Dutch racer was unable to race at major regattas throughout the early part of the 2017 but had targeted returning to the sport at her home Laser Radial World Championship in Medemblik, the Netherlands.

Bouwmeester made an outstanding comeback and stormed her way through to claim an emphatic third world title. Just two months later, she claimed the European Championship title ensuring she holds all the current major titles – Olympic, Worlds and European.

In attendance in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Bouwmeester was voted the female Rolex World Sailor of the Year by the public, World Sailing’s Member National Authorities and guests voting on the night.

An astounded Bouwmeester was almost lost for words upon receiving the unique marble and silver trophy depicting the globe, crowned with five silver spinnakers representing the continents, together with a Rolex timepiece.

“I’m just a girl from Friesland, north of Netherlands,” she commented.

“I have always had big dreams and I didn’t just want to go to the Olympics but I wanted to win a gold medal and dominate the sport of sailing, being the best sailor there is. People laughed at me because at that time, I wasn’t even ranked in the top 20.

“I guess if you enjoy what you do and if you work hard and stay dedicated then dreams do come true. I want to spread the message to the young and the old, to follow their dreams.”

Brilliant Burling continues to thrill

Kiwi sailing superstars Peter Burling and Blair Tuke will both compete in the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 onboard Team Brunel and MAPFRE

New Zealand’s Peter Burling continues to thrill and excite those who watch him sail and compete. Cool under pressure, calm and collected on the water, at just 26-years old, Burling has achieved success that many aspire to, but very few achieve.

Burling personified cool, calm and collectedness at the 35th America’s Cup at the helm Emirates Team New Zealand.

With the weight of an expectant nation on his shoulders, Burling never once looked deterred throughout the Challenger Series and America’s Cup Match. Even a dramatic capsize, that could have jeopardised the whole campaign, didn’t put him off his stride.

Facing off against ORACLE TEAM USA and the bullish Jimmy Spithill, Burling was never fazed and with a hard-working team, spearheaded a 7-1 victory.

Burling was unable to join delegates at the 2017 World Sailing Awards as he is currently competing in the Volvo Ocean Race on-board Team Brunel.

The Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards, sponsored by Rolex since 2001, are the most prestigious awards of recognition in the dynamic sport of sailing.

Former World Sailing President follows in the footsteps of his father

The Beppe Croce Trophy has been presented to distinguished sailors, rules gurus and designers who have all dedicated an outstanding amount of time to the sport sailing.

The roll of honour is an impressive one and features some true innovators within the sport.

The Federazione Italiana Vela presented the trophy to World Sailing in memory of Beppe Croce, World Sailing President from 1969-1986. First awarded in 1988 to His Majesty King Olav of Norway, Beppe Croce’s son, Carlo Croce, received the recognition at the 2017 World Sailing Awards for his services to the sport.

A 1972 and 1976 Olympian, Croce was destined to have a significant future in the sport. He served in several America’s Cup campaigns as President of the Luna Rossa Challenge in the America’s Cup and then as President of Federazione Italiana Vela.

From 2012 – 2016 he was the President of World Sailing, leading the world governing through a rebranding from the International Sailing Federation to ISAF and putting the sailors at the heart.

Croce received the Award from World Sailing President Kim Andersen following insightful, entertaining anecdotes of his life from World Sailing Vice-President, Gary Jobson.

Recording breaking innovator receives President’s Development Award

Since 2008, the President’s Development Award has been awarded to an individual for their work or involvement in developing the sport of sailing nationally or internationally.

Stan Honey received the award from World Sailing President, Kim Andersen, as he has continuously looked forward, developing the presentation of the sport on television as well as being one of the most accomplished sailors.

As a sailor, Honey won the Volvo Ocean Race as navigator, set numerous world records and currently navigates on Comanche.

Throughout his career, Honey has used his engineering background to create breakthrough television graphics that have enhanced the production levels of sailing. In 2013, Honey was responsible for creating GPS based imaging for the America’s Cup and continues to refine the technology for wider use. For his efforts, Honey was presented with an Emmy Award in 2013.

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It is never enough simply to possess talent, although there was plenty of that in clear evidence as the sailing world gathered in Barcelona to celebrate the achievements of some of its finest athletes; those individuals who have delivered outstanding performances throughout the past twelve months, all in the pursuit of excellence.

The winners of the 2016 Rolex World Sailors of the Year were announced at an impressive awards ceremony held at the 18th century Casa Llotja De Mar, in the presence of some 500 guests:

Male Winner: SANTIAGO LANGE, ARGENTINA

Santiago Lange provided Rio 2016 with the fairy tale storyline of the Olympic Games as he won gold with Cecilia Carranza Saroli in the Nacra 17. At 54-years-old, six-time Olympian and two-time bronze medal winner, Lange was the oldest sailor competing, but his story goes beyond his age. Just one year prior to the Games Lange was diagnosed with cancer and had to have a lung removed. Making the start line of the competition was an achievement in itself for the resilient Argentinean. Lange showed what is possible when passion is backed by courage and determination.

“This is a very emotional moment in a very long sailing career. It is a win for ‘us’ because I could not have done it without Cecilia. I want to thank all the other nominees, they are athletes I really admire. Only the very best win gold medals at the Games, and I have a lot of respect for all the other nominees.”

As reward for his achievement, Lange was recipient of a specially engraved Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40 and a marble and silver trophy depicting the globe, crowned with five silver spinnakers representing the continents.

Female Winners: HANNAH MILLS & SASKIA CLARK, GREAT BRITAIN

Spurred on by missing out on London 2012 gold in the 470 Class, Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark set about the Rio Games in determined fashion. They were near flawless in their build up. Gold at the 2015 Sailing World Cup Final, silver at the 2015 World Championships and two 2016 World Cup golds proved Mills and Clark were a force to be reckoned with. Once at Rio the British pair kept their focus on the task ahead. Only a disaster in the Medal Race could separate them from gold. That was never going to happen. Clark and Mills finished what they had started and wiped clean the disappointment of London.

Saskia Clark commented afterwards: “It is totally overwhelming to win this award, to see the names of previous winners, the legends of sailing in the room with us. We really weren’t expecting this.” Hannah Mills was equally elated: “The whole basis of our campaign was teamwork, our bond. To cap our year with winning this award is absolutely incredible.

Marking their triumph, Mills and Clark both received engraved Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 37s and the same marble and silver trophy as Lange

At the beginning of the memorable evening, HM King Constantine, World Sailing President of Honour, remarked that these awards were “in recognition of an achievement that has been many years in the making. Every sailor on the nominee list has the ability to inspire the next generation and strengthen the legacy that our sport and every sport needs.”

The Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards, sponsored by Rolex since 2001, are the most prestigious awards of recognition in the dynamic sport of sailing.

About the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards

Since the awards inception in 1994, the trophy has proudly accumulated the names of those who have demonstrated unparalleled endurance, performance and accomplishment in sailing.

Competition for the 2016 Awards was truly remarkable, with five outstanding female and five equally exceptional male candidates short-listed from a field nominated by the public at large.

The eventual winners were determined by compiling votes from an online public ballot, the Member National Authorities and from guests present at the gala awards ceremony.

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Marit Bouwmeester

The Laser Radial class has seen newcomers progress and Olympic medallists continue on their upward trend throughout the Rio 2016 quadrennial to form a formidable class line up. But it was the Netherlands’ Marit Bouwmeester who rose above the fleet and showed she was the most determined and focussed to claim the coveted Olympic gold medal. Bouwmeester began the nomination period with a silver medal in Abu Dhabi at the Sailing World Cup Final before making the short trip to Oman where she again picked up a silver at the 2015 Laser Radial World Championships.

At the turn of the year, the Dutch sailor made the trip to Rio de Janeiro in the lead up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and competed at the Brazilian Laser Radial Championships and the Brazilian Nationals. Bouwmeester won both in quick succession to gain some confidence ahead of the summer showpiece in a venue that was touted to offer a range of sailing conditions.

A silver at Sailing World Cup Miami and gold at the European Championships followed before Bouwmeester fell outside of the medals in the 2016 Worlds in Mexico by finishing fourth.

The Dutch sailor is renowned for her fierce competitiveness and drive and obviously a fourth place finish was not acceptable. She was determined to make amends and would take the disappointment to add to the fire that burns inside her to win.

Bouwmeester returned home to win the Delta Lloyd Regatta and continued her strong racing to take the Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland title, the final international regatta before her assault on the Olympic title. An assault she had waited four years for after claiming silver at London 2012. She wanted, needed to go one better.

With two wins in Rio de Janiero already under her belt, Bouwmeester took her Rio form to sail a steady and consistent regatta which gave her an advantage heading in to the all important Medal Race. A race in which the memories of her last Olympic outing were still fresh, she would not make any mistakes this time around.

In a to and fro finale, Bouwmeester put to rest any Olympic demons she had. As she crossed the finish line, Bouwmeester knew she had the Olympic gold medal that she had coveted so much.

With a knack for punishing opponents when the time comes, Bouwmeester kept her cool and sailed an accomplished regatta when it mattered the most. Taking the experience of her earlier Rio de Janiero wins and the London 2012 lessons, the Dutch Radial sailor bettered her previous Olympic result by one position. But what a position, the gold was finally hers.

Cecilia Carranza Saroli

When you’re sailing in a team you have to perform different roles inside and outside of the boat. For Argentina’s Cecilia Carranza Saroli she became the ultimate team mate in an Olympic campaign that could have been so different. But you have to go through the bad to savour the good. Having sailed in the Laser Radial at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games, Saroli decided to make the switch and compete with a partner for the Rio 2016 Olympiad. The newly introduced mixed Multihull class, the Nacra 17, presented a new opportunity for Saroli, providing her with a new dimension of Olympic campaigning.

Making the change from a one-person dinghy to two-person multihull was always going to be a challenge but Saroli would face more emotions than most. Support, heartache, team work, and in the end, triumph. She would taste it all.

Partner Santiago Lange’s story has been widely spread. Cancer in 2015, a return to health and then Olympic gold. But while Lange’s is undoubtedly an inspiring story, it is important to remember that the Nacra 17 is sailed by two people with the same dream. When something happens to put that dream on hold, it happens to them both.

As Lange was undergoing treatment and subsequently getting back to fitness, Saroli had to put her Olympic dream on hold. Instead of sharpening her boat skills with her partner, she had to do the most important job of all. Support. Not in the boat. But out of it in everyday life.

Some things are more important in life than even sailing. And health is one of those. Saroli waited and supported patiently in the ultimate test of a partnership. She could have easily given up on her Olympic dream or moved on to another partner. But she did neither.

When it came to Lange’s return the pair worked their way through the rigours of the physical class, testing, training and working on their rhythm before moving on to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

It was in South America where the dream began and finished. Argentina to Brazil. Taking the strength and determination their time out of the boat had given them, they began down a dream path to Olympic gold.

Experience was the buzz word for the two Argentinean sailors. Marrying her own Olympic experience with Lange’s in a class making its Olympic debut, they sailed to the top of the leaderboard heading in to the Medal Race. They then took the experience of the previous year, determination and strength, to clinch gold from the face of defeat when they had two penalty turns against them.

Saroli and Lange had done it. They had won gold in one of the stories of the Games.

Martine Grael & Kahena Kunze

Picture the scene. It’s the final opportunity to win a medal at the Olympic Sailing Competition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Flamengo Beach is buzzing with expectant spectators with millions more watching on TV across Brazil. You have the weight of an expectant nation on your shoulders as you head into a four way shoot out for gold. You have a slow start. You fight back. You never give up. You take the lead. Your rivals inch closer. You look ahead and you’ve won gold by two mere seconds!

Seems like a fairy tale ending doesn’t it? But this all played out for the darlings of Brazilian sailing, 49erFX sailors Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze.

Since the 49erFX was introduced in to the Olympic programme, there have been gains made at different points within the quadrennial and with four separate world champions, it was always going to be a wide open field at Rio 2016.

The nomination period begun for the Brazilian girls in neighbouring Argentina where they took two silver medals in quick succession at the South American Championships and World Championships.

Mixed results followed in the Sailing World Cup series and 2016 World Championships in which they only finished on the podium once, at Sailing World Cup Hyeres.

With two wins from two Olympic Test Events, Grael and Kunze returned home to sail in the South American Championships just ahead of the summer showpiece. They placed just outside the medals in fourth, the first time they had not won on the waters of Guanabara Bay during the quad. But this would only spur them on.

Just like every 49erFX regatta that had gone before, there was no clear favourite. It wasn’t outside the realms of possibility that an outsider could come out of nowhere to win in the wide open class.

As racing started there were mixed results for all teams. Podium positions changed constantly. The wide open class was, well, wide open.

It would all come down to the Medal Race, the very final race of the Olympic Sailing Competition. It was Brazil’s last hope of winning a sailing medal and Grael and Kunze were in contention. They were one of four teams that could win gold, but they were also one of four teams who could leave with nothing.

Almost predictably the final race was a game of cat and mouse. New Zealand’s Alex Maloney and Molly Meech seemed to have taken the initiative and were leading the way, but it wasn’t over for the home team. They chose the opposite side of the race course to their Kiwi rivals. It had paid off. They were leading on the last downwind leg, but the New Zealander’s were chasing hard.

Grael and Kunze held off the challenge and claimed gold by just two seconds. When they hit the shores of Flamengo Beach they were greeted by an adoring crowd who lifted them out of the water to celebrate a famous victory.

Hannah Mills & Saskia Clark

The Olympic Games is the pinnacle event in sailing. Held every four years it takes focus and drive to campaign and makes participation at the biggest event in sport all the more special. However, for those who miss out on their targets, it is a long four year wait to set the record straight.

Great Britain’s 470 sailors, Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark waited and waited, methodically planning their assault on the gold medal they had missed out on in their home waters of London 2012. In Rio 2016, the four-year plan was completed when the long-time friends climbed on to the top step of the Olympic podium to collect their gold medal.

The pair begun the nomination period with a silver medal in the 2015 World Championships in Israel before claiming the Sailing World Cup title Final title in Abu Dhabi. There was disappointment next as the duo placed 15th in the 2016 World Championships in Argentina, the worst position they had finished in a regatta for the entire quad.

With all results in sport, it’s not always about a single result, but what you do next and how you bounce back from the disappointment. Mills and Clark came out fighting. They won the Sailing World Cup Hyeres title before heading to their home waters of Weymouth and Portland to claim another Sailing World Cup gold. Almost poetically the final regatta before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was at the venue of their London 2012 silver medal, the result they were aiming to better.

The time had come, Mills and Clark were ready to go. And while they began strongly posting high finishes in all races their rivals were almost falling apart around them.

With top eight finishes in each race and with team after team faltering, the British pair knew that barring a complete disaster in the Medal Race the gold that had been their primary focus for four years would be theirs.

There was no such melt down or collapse. An Olympic gold medal was finally secure. They had stayed out of trouble in the final race to cross the finish line as champions.

With so much support throughout the campaign from friends and family, and that support being in Rio to see all the endeavours come to fruition, the girls sailed straight to Flamengo Beach to celebrate among the thousands of fans that lined the shore.

The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition

Charline Picon

Sailors, just like any sports competitors, have faith in their own ability and will aim for a win. Some will even make a prediction of their result. For France’s Charline Picon her prediction came from a French saying, ‘Jamais deux san trois’. ‘Never two without three’. For her, the third would be an Olympic gold medal.

Picon’s saying came off the back of two wins at the Rio 2016 Test Events held in the waters of the Olympic Games, and although it would come true, it wouldn’t come as easy as just saying the words for the French windsurfer.

After Picon uttered those words, the Rolex World Sailor of the Year nomination period begun, and it was not a good start. Returning to France to compete in the Semaine Olympique Francaise, Picon could only manage a finish in the mid-teens.

Two World Championships followed. Picon finished seventh in Oman for the 2015 championships and sixth in Israel for 2016. Her prediction was not looking good.

Picon would have to endure another seventh place at the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia before returning to the podium. Heading back home to compete in the Sailing World Cup Hyeres, Picon finished in third to claim the bronze medal.

That bronze medal seemed to be the spark for what was to come. Picon claimed the European Championship title in Helsinki, Finland to ensure that she would go to Rio de Janeiro as a recent gold medallist. Confidence breeds confidence.

With two wins from two Rio 2016 Test Events, it was crunch time. ‘Jamais deux san trois’.

Twelve gruelling Olympic races could not separate a competitive field. There were six sailors in contention for the podium heading in to the Women’s RS:X Medal Race and Picon was tied for third. Nevermind a third win, there was just as much chance Picon could leave with nothing.

Crossing the finish line in second place meant Picon could do no more than just wait. She waited. Waited some more. Her podium rivals were falling to the back of the fleet. When everyone had crossed and the results were in. Picon was Olympic champion and burst in to tears.

‘Jamais deux san trois’. Maybe Picon should make some more predictions.

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