Australian Yachting Awards - Finalists announced as tickets go on sale

by Craig Heydon on 15 Sep 2010 Yachting Australia is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2010 Australian Yachting Awards with the winners announced at the gala event to be held on Friday 15 October at the Deckhouse in Woolwich.

The 2010 Australian Yachting Awards recognises outstanding achievement in the sport of sailing over the period of 1 August 2009 to 15 August 2010.

The 2010 Voting Academy was faced with a tough decision to narrow down the high quality fields with numerous outstanding achievements taking place around Australian and the world during the nomination period.

The finalists for the Male Sailor of the Year award are 470 World Champions and ISAF Sailing World Cup Champions Mathew Belcher and Malcolm Page, A-Class and Tornado World Champion Glenn Ashby, winning America’s Cup skipper James Spithill, three-time Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby, and 49er crew Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen.

In the Female Sailor of the Year category the finalists are solo, round-the-world, sailor Jessica Watson, 2009 ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Champion skipper Nicky Souter and crew Rayshele Martin, Nina Curtis, Lucinda Whitty, Kat Stroinovsky and Amanda Scrivenor, solo sailor Jennifer Fitzgibbon and Laser Radial sailor Alexandra South.

The OAMPS Insurance Brokers Youth Sailor of the Year award will be presented to either Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship open multihull Gold medalists Chase Lurati and Paul Darmanin, fellow OAMPS Insurance Brokers Australian Youth Sailing Team members, 420 boys crew Angus Galloway and Alexander Gough, solo, round the world, sailor Jessica Watson or Laser 4.7 sailor Mark Spearman.

Finalists for the Sailor of the Year with a Disability award are Access 2.3 World Champion Angus MacGregor, IFDS World Championship Bronze medalists Daniel Fitzgibbon and Rachael Cox, Access 2.3 Servo World Champion Martin Waller and Access Liberty sailor Christopher Cook.

The Sport Promotion Award will be presented to either The Boatshed at Albert Park, Canberra Yacht Club or Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club’s Youthsail Program.

In the Sport Professional Award category the finalists are David Tillett, who was the Chairman of the Jury at the 33rd America’s Cup, Ronstan’s Alistair Murray who is Australia’s Ambassador for the ISAF ‘Connect to Sailing’ program, Yachting Victoria CEO Ross Kilborn and Canberra Yacht Club Manager Matthew Owen.

The Volunteer of the Year Award will go to either Ron Yeates, William Pringle, Hugh Tait or David Brookes.

The 2010 Australian Yachting Awards will also see two individuals receive Lifetime Achievement Awards. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognises those who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport of sailor over a period of at least 20 years. For 2010 the recipients are Tony Mooney and Kevin Wood.

The evening will also include Yachting Australia President Andrew Plympton presenting the President’s Award for 2010.

Tickets for the October 15 event are available now with purchases made via a booking form available on the Yachting Australia website.

Yachting Australia will be providing a return ferry to Woolwich on the evening with stops at King St Wharf in the city and Jeffrey’s St Wharf in Kirribilli. Further details can be found on the Yachting Australia website.

For more information visit www.yachting.org.au