Ocean Racer of the Year Awards - Nominations open

by Jennifer Crooks on 3 Nov 2009
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has announced that nominations are open for its prestigious Ocean Racer of the Year Awards. The 2009 Ocean Racer of the Year Awards will be announced on Wednesday 16 December 2009 at the Rolex Skippers Party and Ocean Racer of the Year Awards cocktail party.

CYCA welcomes nominations from fellow yacht clubs that have suitable candidates that they feel would be eligible for these awards.

The categories for the 2009 awards are:
* Ocean Racing Yachtsman of the Year
* Ocean Crew Person of the Year
* Ocean Veteran of the Year
* Ocean Rookie of the Year
* Ocean Navigator of the Year

Nominations close on Wednesday, 2 December 2009 and should be forwarded to CYCA with a brief history of the candidate?s offshore successes during the qualifiying period of 1 July 2008 ? 30 April 2009.

Phil Eadie, a longstanding crew member of Ragamuffin, was the inaugural recipient of the CYCA Navigator of the Year in 2008. 'Navigation is an integral part of racing and it can be very challenging to get the boat in the right position and have the right race tactics to achieve a win or strong result.'

'I was honoured to be named the inaugural Navigator of the Year. I know that there are many other hard working navigators and I encourage owners to recognise these individuals,' said Eadie.

Rear Commodore Garry Linacre, chairman of the Sailing Committee, endorsed Eadie?s comments and encouraged Commodores of fellow clubs and yacht owners to nominate eligible individuals. 'The 2008/09 offshore season was highly competitive with the winners of the Blue Water and Tasman Pointscore Series only determined in the last race. 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.'

Last year Syd Fischer was named Ocean Racer of Year while the Rookie of the Year award went to Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club's Kym Butler and Ocean Crew Person of the Year to Melbourne sailor Daniel Morrow, who travels from Melbourne to wherever Alan Brierty's Limit begins her races. John Walker was named Ocean Veteran of the Year for the fourth time. CYCA also awarded a highly commended to Ocean Crew Person of the Year nominee Tony Purkiss, from Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club. Purkiss overcame tragic circumstances to actively participate in his chosen sport - despite being legally blind. He lost his eyesight as a result of the Bali bombings.

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 Calahan (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 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.