ISAF ROLEX WORLD SAILORS OF THE YEAR have been announced at the ISAF Annual Conference in Sanya on China’s Hainan Island, with Sarah Ayton, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke crowned as the winners in the female and male categories.
ISAF ROLEX WORLD SAILORS OF THE YEAR have been announced at the ISAF Annual Conference in Sanya on China’s Hainan Island, with Sarah Ayton, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke crowned as the winners in the female and male categories.
British sailor Ayton is a double Olympic gold medalist and the only female competing in the Extreme Sailing Series.
Unable to attend the ceremony, New Zealand duo Burling and Tuke have dominated the sailing scene over the last year, winning ISAF Sailing World Cup regattas, Aquece Rio - International Sailing Regatta and the Trofeo Princesa Sofia, while also competing in the America’s Cup World Series with Emirates Team New Zealand.
Rolex has sponsored the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards since 2001 and this is the highest recognition a sailor can achieve based on results over a 12-month period.
Competition for the 2015 Awards was remarkable, with five female and five male candidates short-listed from a list of nominations made by the public.
Also honoured during the ceremony were seven sailors inducted into the ISAF Hall of Fame – Dennis Conner, Alessandra Sensini, Harold Vanderbilt (1884-1970), Sir Peter Blake (1948-2001), Buddy Melges, Valentin Mankin (1938-2014) and Torben Grael.
