Skandia Team GBR celebrates success

by RYA on 29 Nov 2006
Skandia Team GBR’s most successful year to date in medal terms was capped off this weekend with the team’s inaugural Awards Dinner and Presentations at the Hayling Island Sailing Club on Friday (24 November).

Sailors and support staff alike were honoured during the black tie event, which reflected on the British sailing team’s performance during 2006 and their bumper haul of 48 medals this year from World and European Championships and major Olympic Classes Regattas.

A champagne reception, courtesy of Champagne Mumm, started the evening’s proceedings, with Peter Thomas and Trevor Hatton from Accenture then announcing the winners of their ‘Rewards and Recognition Programme’.

As part of this new incentive programme from Accenture, Skandia Team GBR sailors and support staff voted to decide which of them had best displayed one of three of the team’s core values of 'Passion', 'Committed to Excellence' and 'Collaboration'. Cash awards of £1,500 were up for grabs for the each of the three winners, and £500 for each of the runners-up.

2.4mR Paralympic sailor Helena Lucas was the winner of the award for 'Passion', Pete Cunningham, head of the Sports Science team, was deemed the person most 'Committed to Excellence', while Skandia Team GBR’s Olympic Operations Officer Wendy Maxwell was awarded the top prize for 'Collaboration'.

The evening also saw Olympic Manager Stephen Park present performance bonuses for sailors who have medalled at World and European Championships and the Olympic Test Event in Qingdao since April this year (full list below), while Adam May was presented with the inaugural 'Golden Funnel' award for coaching for his work with both the 2.4mR and Yngling classes during the year. The award was introduced by its creator, Finn coach Jez Fanstone, via video message from Fremantle, Australia.

In the final award of the evening, 49er World Champions Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks were handed the British Olympic Association Athlete of the Year by BOA Chief Executive Simon Clegg.

'This first ever Skandia Team GBR Awards Dinner and Presentations was a fitting way of not only celebrating the team’s on the water achievements, but also the efforts of all those who’ve contributed in some way to our success during the course of 2006,' said Olympic Manager Stephen Park.

'2006 has been a fantastic year in medal terms thanks to our collective efforts, and we must continue to pull together as team if we’re to achieve our Olympic goals in Qingdao, and again of course in 2012.'

Full list of winners:

Accenture Rewards and Recognition Programme:

'Passion'
Winner – Helena Lucas (2.4mR sailor)
Runner-up – Peter Bentley (Technical Projects Manager)

'Committed to Excellence'
Winner – Pete Cunningham (Senior Sports Science Officer)
Runner-up – Adam May (2.4mR coach)

'Collaboration'
Winner – Wendy Maxwell (Olympic Operations Officer)
Runner-up – Olivia Hankey (Olympic Administrator)

Performance bonuses awarded to:

Chris Draper-Simon Hiscocks (49er)
Gold – 49er World Championships; Gold – Olympic Test Event

Nic Asher-Elliot Willis (470 Men)
Gold – 470 World Championships; Bronze – Olympic Test Event

Stevie Morrison-Ben Rhodes (49er)
Gold – 49er European Championships; Bronze – 49er Worlds

Paul Goodison (Laser)
Gold – Laser European Championships; Gold – Olympic Test Event

Ed Wright (Finn)
Gold – Finn European Championships; Bronze – Finn Gold Cup

Penny Clark (Laser Radial)
Bronze – Laser Radial European Championships; Bronze – Olympic Test Event

Ben Ainslie (Finn)
Gold – Olympic Test Event

Nick Rogers-Joe Glanfield (470 Men)
Gold – Olympic Test Event

Nick Dempsey (RS:X Men)
Gold – RS:X European Championships

Helena Lucas-Annie Lush-Lucy Macgregor
Silver – Olympic Test Event

Iain Percy-Steve Mitchell (Star)
Silver – Olympic Test Event

Bryony Shaw (RS:X Women)
Silver – RS:X European Championships

British Olympic Association Athlete of the Year:
Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks (49er)

For more information on the Awards and their winners, and photos from the presentations, visit www.skandiateamgbr.com