Gary Jobson to host ISAF Awards Ceremony

by Rolex Media on 26 Oct 2007
Gary JOBSON (USA), world renowned sailor, author and commentator, will host the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards in Estoril, Portugal on 6 November 2007.

The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards is dedicated to the outstanding achievements over the past year of the four female and five male nominees who will all be hoping to take home the sailing world's most prestigious annual award of recognition.

Gary is one of sailing's most recognizable voices and has hosted the World Sailor of the Year Awards three times before, in 1994, 1995 and 2006. Gary is one of only three Rolex Ambassadors in the sport of sailing and his association with Rolex stretches back to the 1970s.

Successes On The Water

Gary JOBSON has enjoyed a distinguished career on the water. At college he was an All-American sailor three times and was twice named College Sailor of the Year in 1972 and 1973. Gary has won many championships in one design classes, the Fastnet Race, various ocean races and, in 1977 as tactician with Ted TURNER, claimed the America's Cup.

Gary is also an active cruising sailor and has led ambitious expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctic and Cape Horn. He currently races his Etchells and owns a Sabre 402.

In 1999 he won the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy, presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of sailing in the USA. Four years later he was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame by the Herreshoff Marine Museum.

Voice Of Sailing

Gary's involvement with sailing extends into many avenues off the water. He has been ESPN's sailing commentator since 1985 and in 1988 he won an Emmy for his coverage of sailing at the Olympic Games in Pusan, Korea. More recently, he covered the 2003 America's Cup in Auckland for ESPN and Sailing World and the 2004 Olympic Sailing Competition in Athens for NBC. Gary has authored 15 sailing books and is Editor at Large of Sailing World and Cruising World magazines. His latest book is titled A Cats: A Century of Tradition. Gary will be covering the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition from China for NBC.

Gary is the National Regatta Chairman of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's sailing programme, has given nearly 2,000 lectures throughout the world over the past 25 years and serves on the board of numerous sailing committees.