Yachting Australia Awards finalists revealed

by Jane Gordon on 3 Oct 2014 Yachting Australia is pleased to reveal the finalists in twelve categories for the Yachting Australia Awards 2014, the annual celebration providing an opportunity to acknowledge the achievements and recognise contributions made, both on and off the water.

On Friday 17 October 2014, the winners will be revealed at the Awards ceremony to be held at the Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour, Sydney. A limited number of tickets are still available to purchase for this event, with details here.

Winners will be announced on Friday 17 October in the categories of:

Male Sailor of the Year
Female Sailor of the Year
Sailor of the Year with a Disability
Youth Sailor of the Year
Sport Promotion Award
Sport Professional Award
Lifetime Achievement
Volunteer Award

This year sees the introduction of four new categories with nominations made by State Associations for these Awards.

Club of the Year
Official of the Year
Instructor of the Year
Coach of the Year

Finalists in the Male Sailor of the Year category are Australian and World A Class Catamaran Champion and Emirates Team New Zealand wing trimmer Glenn Ashby; recently crowned 470 World Champions Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan; Laser champion Tom Burton; ocean racing legend Roger Hickman; and Artemis Racing’s America’s Cup skipper and Moth World Champion Nathan Outteridge.

Four finalists have been named in the Female Sailor of the Year category, two Nacra 17 sailors are in the running with Lisa Darmanin and Nina Curtis; Grand Master World Champion, Laser Radial, Vanessa Dudley and Female Australian Kiteboard Champion Lisa Hickman.

Three finalists announced in the Sailor of the Year with a Disability category including Skud 18 World Champions Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch; winning Nations Cup Team from the IFDS World Championship including Daniel Fitzgibbon, Liesl Tesch, Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris, Russell Boaden and Matt Bugg along with the World Champion Blind Match Racing Team, Australians Kylie Forth, Ryan Honschooten and Erin McGlew.

A competitive field will contest the Youth Sailor of the Year Award with five finalists announced including World Champion Cadet Class pairing of Thomas and Sophie Alexander; 49er World Championship Under 21 gold medallist Lewis Brake; 29er World Championship team of Kurt Hansen and Harry Morton; Bic Techno Girls Australian Youth Champion Lara O’Brien and Australian Laser Champion Matt Wearn.

Finalists in the running for the Sport Promotion Award include Yachting Victoria’s Discover Sailing Centre of the Year Albury-Wodonga Yacht Club; Royal Geelong Yacht Club and the Festival of Sails; Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club for the hosting of the IRC Australian Championship 2014; sailing videographer and photographer Beau Outteridge and Sandringham Yacht Club for their promotion of sailing particularly through the Discover Sailing program.

In the category of Sport Professional Award, designer, competitive sailor and professional event manager Iain Murray takes on Beau Outteridge for his promotion of the sport through video, photography and media, and Regatta Director and Race Officer of countless regattas Denis Thompson.

From around the country, three finalists are announced for the Volunteer Award having been nominated by their State Association, John Rosser from Western Australia, Garry Hosie from Victoria and South Australia’s Brian Sorrel.

This year, four new categories have been introduced with nominations coming directly from the State Associations. Finalists for Official of the Year are Western Australia’s John Standley and Victorian Mark Taylor; for Instructor of the Year, New South Wales’ Craig Ferris takes on Leanne Thomson nominated by Yachting Victoria. Coach of the Year will be contested by Tristan Brown from Western Australia, Tony Bull from Victoria and Larry Cargill from New South Wales and for Club of the Year, Fremantle Sailing Club, Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron and Tasmania’s Wynyard Yacht Club are in the running.

There will be acknowledgement of Lifetime Achievement and the contribution made to the sport for over 20 years during the evening.

Winners will be announced in all categories at the Yachting Australia Awards 2014 on Friday 17 October at Australian National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney and there are a limited number of tickets on sale with more information available here.