ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2006

by ISAF on 29 Sep 2006 ISAF and Rolex are proud to announce the male and female sailors who have been shortlisted for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2006. The criteria for nomination for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2006 was 'outstanding achievement' in the period 1 September 2005 to 31 August 2006 and ISAF received numerous nominations for sailors who met that criteria.

The shortlisted sailors cover a broad spectrum of accomplishment within the sport and close voting is expected to decide the winners.

The nominees are:

Female
Mónica AZÓN CANALDA, Sandra AZÓN CANALDA and Graciela PISONERO CASTRO (ESP)
Dee CAFFARI (GBR)
Dorte JENSEN (DEN)
Helena LUCAS (GBR)
Daida MORENO (ESP)
Paige RAILEY (USA)

Male
Peter GILMOUR (AUS)
Sébastien JOSSE (FRA)
Yves PARLIER (FRA)
Bruno PEYRON (FRA)
Mike SANDERSON (NZL)

The 121 ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs) - the national governing bodies for sailing - around the world will now be invited to vote for the one female nominee and one male nominee whom they feel deserves the honour of receiving the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award 2006.

The winners will be unveiled at the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards Dinner and Presentation on 7 November 2006 at the Wanha Satama, an historic warehouse in the harbour district of Helsinki, Finland. Each winner will be presented with the prestigious ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award Trophy and a Rolex timepiece.

The achievements of the nominees are:

FEMALE NOMINEES

Mónica AZÓN CANALDA, Sandra AZÓN CANALDA and Graciela PISONERO CASTRO (ESP)
In 2003 the AZON sisters teamed up with Graciela PISONERO to campaign the Yngling and have been a force to be reckoned with ever since - but it was during 2006 that they really came to the fore.

Team Azon claimed two continental titles in 2006, winning the ISAF Grade C1 North American and European titles. Sandwiched between those victories was the big one – the World Championship. The gold medal at the Worlds in La Rochelle, France was the ultimate prize and with it came a return to the number one position on the ISAF World Sailing Rankings, confirming the status of this talented Spanish team.

Team Azon finished in the top ten at all but one of the ISAF Graded events they entered in the nomination period and lead their class rivals by more than 200 points on the World Rankings.

4th – Rolex Miami OCR, Miami, USA – ISAF Grade 1 – Jan 2006
1st – Yngling North American Championship, Miami, USA – ISAF Grade C1 – Feb 2006
8th – HRH Princess Sofia Trophy, Palma de Majorca, ESP – ISAF Grade 2 – Apr 2006
9th – Semaine Olympique Française, Hyères, FRA – ISAF Grade 1 – May 2006
1st – Yngling World Championship, La Rochelle, FRA – ISAF Grade W – Jul 2006
6th – Yngling Open, Medemblik, NED – Jul 2006 (ungraded)
1st – Yngling European Championship, Medemblik, NED – ISAF Grade C1 – Jul 2006
15th – Qingdao International Regatta, Qingdao, CHN – ISAF Grade 2 – Aug 2006
ISAF World Sailing Ranking position at the end of the nomination period (2 August 2006) - 1

In May 2006 Dee CAFFARI entered the record books when she became the first woman to sail single-handed westabout non-stop around the world. On 21 November 2005, CAFFARI departed on her record breaking voyage which would stretch her to the limit physically and emotionally. 178 days, 3 hours, 5 minutes and 34 seconds after she crossed the start line at the Lizard CAFFARI returned across the start line to set the record.

Sailing the modified 72 foot steel yacht which she had previously skippered in the 2004-2005 Global Challenge with a crew of 18, CAFFARI embarked on the 26,000 mile voyage taking the same route against the prevailing winds and currents. Expecting to experience some of the most challenging tests of her life, CAFFARI was not disappointed and encountered some of the most hostile conditions on the planet. Her epic 104 day passage through the icy wastes of the Southern Ocean is beyond comprehension for most sailors.

Battered by winds of over 50 knots in the Southern Ocean she also suffered from equipment failure, fatigue and the extremes of the Doldrums but remained resolute throughout. As the first woman to sail single-handed westabout non-stop around the world, Dee CAFFARI has inspired sailors and non-sailors alike around the world and set a benchmark for the future.

Single-handed westabout non-stop round the world record - first woman – Aviva – 178 days, 3 hours, 5 minutes and 34 seconds – 21 Nov 2005 - 18 May 2006

Dorte JENSEN (DEN) made a spectacular return to the women’s match racing circuit in 2006 when she claimed the Dexia Private Banking ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship title despite being a virtual outsider.

Unranked on the women’s circuit, JENSEN claimed the host nation’s wild card entry to the Championship and went on to demonstrate why she was previously the world’s number one ranked women’s match race skipper. After stepping away from match racing to complete an Olympic campaign in the Yngling, JENSEN became a mother in 2005 and made a last minute decision to compete at the Match Racing Worlds on her home waters in Denmark.

Primarily sailing with a mixed crew at on the Open Match Racing Circuit, JENSEN also has a string of medals from ISAF Graded open events during the nomination period and is the highest ranked female skipper on the Open Rankings. For the Worlds however, she brought together a talented women’s team, put in some intensive training and demonstrated outstanding teamwork, skill and determination throughout the World Championship.

JENSEN’s defeat of the defending champion and the world number one ranked women’s skipper on her way to the finals signalled her return to match racing was serious. Meeting Marie BJÖRLING (SWE) in the final for the third time in the history of the event, JENSEN despatched her with a final score of 3-0 to claim her fourth ISAF Women’s Match Racing World Championship title.

1st – International Berlin Championship Match Race of H-Boats, Berlin, GER – ISAF Grade 3 – Oct 2005 (open)
6th – Berlin Match Race 2005, Berlin, GER – ISAF Grade 2 – Nov 2005 (open)
2nd – JP Morgan Fleming Winter Challenge 5, London, GBR – ISAF Grade 3 – Jan 2006 (open)
2nd – RMC 2, Skovshoved, DEN – ISAF Grade 4 – Apr 2006 (open)
2nd – Ice Breaker Cup 2006, Gothenburg, SWE – ISAF Grade 3 – Apr 2006 (open)
1st – Dexia Private Banking ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship, Skovshoved, DEN – ISAF Grade W – May 2006 (women)
Helena LUCAS (GBR)

Helena LUCAS (GBR) uniquely illustrates the accessibility of sailing demonstrating outstanding performance during the nomination period in both Paralympic and Olympic disciplines.

LUCAS sailed a 2.4mR for the first time in 2004 and quickly proved her ability to adapt to new challenges and new techniques. She kicked off the 2006 nomination period with an outstanding bronze medal at the 2.4mR World Championship, an event open to able bodied and disabled sailors. She followed this up with a silver medal at the Alcoa IFDS World Disabled Sailing Championships in January 2006 and another silver in Hyères.

Whilst the lure of Olympic competition is always close to her heart and her sights are firmly set on the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Competition, LUCAS also thrives on competing in Open fleets.

When LUCAS was asked to stand in for new mother and double Olympic gold medallist Shirley ROBERTSON in the Yngling at the 2006 Qingdao International Regatta she jumped at the chance. LUCAS’s thirst for learning and genuine talent brought her to the podium yet again with a silver medal in her first event sailing the Yngling.

3rd – 2.4mR World Championship, Elba, ITA – Sep 2005 (2nd disabled)
2nd – Alcoa IFDS World Disabled Sailing Championships, 2.4mR, Perth, AUS – Jan 2006
2nd – Semaine Olympique Française, 2.4mR, Hyères, FRA – May 2006
6th – Kiel Week, 2.4m