2013 Ocean Racer - Nominations now open

by Jennifer Crooks on 2 Sep 2013 For its prestigious Ocean Racer of the Year Awards, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has announced that nominations are open. The 2013 Ocean Racer of the Year Awards will be announced on Wednesday 11 December 2013 and the CYCA welcomes nominations from fellow offshore clubs that have suitable candidates they feel would be eligible for these awards.

The categories for the 2013 awards are:

•Ocean Racing Yachtsman of the Year
•Sally Gordon Memorial Trophy for the Ocean Crew Person of the Year
•Ocean Veteran of the Year
•Ocean Rookie of the Year
•Ocean Navigator of the Year

Nominations close on Monday, 18 November 2013 and should be forwarded to the CYCA with a brief history of the candidate’s offshore performances and achievements for the period of 20 July 2012- 20 July 2013. Click here to download a copy of the nomination form.

'These awards recognise many yachtsmen and women from around the country, some of whom are icons of the sport and some that participate in the sport of sailing just for the love of it,' CYCA Commodore Howard Piggott said.

'I encourage Commodores of fellow clubs and yacht owners to nominate eligible individuals for these prestigious awards.'

Last year, CYCA member Darryl Hodgkinson was named the CYCA Ocean Racing Yachtsman of Year after clinching the CYCA’s 2012 Blue Water Pointscore Series from Ragamuffin (Syd Fischer) by five points, having won the Cabbage Tree Island and Flinders Islet yacht races and finishing first in IRC Division 3 in the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

The yachtsman also claimed the Class B win in the Audi IRC Australian Championship, inclusive of third place at Audi Victoria Week, second in the Sydney Harbour Regatta, and won his division in both the Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.

The Sally Gordon Memorial Trophy for Ocean Crew Person of the Year went to Gail Harland. The Crew Person of the Year award was rededicated in 2010 in memory of Sally Gordon who lost her life in the CYCA’s Flinders Islet race (2009). Sally was a previous recipient of the award in 2000.

Harland had displayed true dedication as a crew member of Tony Kirby’s X-41 Patrice Six since returning to sailing with the boat three years ago, although she raced successfully with Kirby previously on other people’s yachts.

Phil Eadie, who was the navigator for Hodgkinson’s Beneteau 45 Victoire when the boat was crowned the 2011-2012 Blue Water Champion, was named as the Ocean Racing Navigator of the Year.

Tasmanian Justin Wells was named the Ocean Racing Rookie of the Year. Since purchasing the Ker 11.3, Dump Truck (the former Tow Truck), in 2010, Wells and co-owner Edward Fader have scored some good offshore race results.

Syd Fischer was named the Ocean Veteran of the Year, sailing his 44th race to Hobart last year – and his 40th with friend Tony Ellis.

Since its inception in 1985, the Ocean Racer of the Year Award has gone to many of Australia’s most notable ocean racing skippers, starting with Tasmanian Don Calvert and including Victorians Gino Knezic and Lou Abrahams, South Australian Kevan Pearce and Sydney yachtsmen Syd Fischer (four times), Roger Hickman, Geoff Ross, Matt Allen (twice), and Bob Thomas and Ed Psaltis (twice).

The Crew Person of the Year list of winners includes some of the best Australian sailors who have played significant roles in the success of the boats on which they sailed.

Among the winners have been David Blanchfield (NSW), Brad Stephens (NSW), Phil Thompson (NSW), Julian Freeman (Tas), Tom Braidwood (NSW), Ian ‘Barney’ Walker (Vic), Adrienne Cahalan (NSW), Lori Wilson (NSW), the late Sally Gordon (NSW), Brett Filby (NSW), Tony Ellis (NSW) and Tom Barker (NSW).

The Ocean Veteran of the Year winners have included Syd Fischer (NSW, twice), Alby Burgin (NSW, twice), the late Merv Finn (WA), the late John Bennetto (Tas), Dick Fidock (SA), John Walker (NSW, four times), Lou Abrahams (Vic), Don Mickleborough (NSW), Richard Hammond (NSW) and Alex Whitworth (NSW), twice.