Tom Slingsby -World Sailor of Year-Ambassador for Gosford Sailing Club

by Vanessa Piccinini on 25 Nov 2010 On Thursday 25th November, Gosford Sailing Club celebrated the triumphant return of 26 year old Tom Slingsby, the first Australian ever to be awarded the ISAF (International Sailing Federation) Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award, the most prestigious award of recognition in sailing.

At special gathering attended by fellow members including two of the club’s past world champions, Paul Turner and John Rigg, Tom was warmly welcomed back to his home club for the first time since his winning the award was announced earlier this month in Athens. At the celebration, Commodore Geoff Jollow bestowed on Tom the unprecedented appointment of Ambassador for Gosford Sailing Club.

Tom responded saying, 'I have proudly represented Gosford Sailing Club in my sailing career. It is an honor to now be the Ambassador for the Club.'

Gosford Sailing Club was founded in 1932 and boasts an impressive history of world champions including John Rigg and Adam French, who each have won Laser Masters (over 35 years old) in various divisions; Paul Turner - an Etchells world champion crew member in 2004; and Chris Lawrence, who won three sailboard world championships between 1986 and 1990.

Tom started sailing at just five years old and he has been an active member of Gosford Sailing Club since then. His first competition was sailing with his sister in a Sabot. Much of Tom’s sailing success is due to his uncanny ability to 'read the wind', which he credits to his childhood years sitting on the deck of the family home at Koolewong and watching the breeze on the water.

Tom Slingsby is an exceptional talent. Being named World Sailor of the Year has capped off an extraordinary 12 months beginning with a win at Skandia Sail for Gold in August 2009 and thereafter winning virtually every regatta he sailed in, including last summer’s Laser Sail Sydney and the Australian Championship, the Etchells national title in January, and the Farr 40 Australian title in March.

Sailing as tactician on the Farr 40 Transfusion, Slingsby guided the team to second overall at the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds in the Dominican Republic in April before returning to the Laser and the European circuit of the ISAF Sailing World Cup. Slingsby sailed at three of the regattas and won them all: Delta Lloyd, Kieler Woche and Skandia Sail for Gold 2010. He then crewed with John Bertrand to win the Etchells World Championship in Ireland in August. That regatta finished only a day before the Laser World Championship started in England where he found more success. Slingsby competed in the Laser World Championship at Hayling Island in the UK and claimed his third Laser world title with a 36-point margin over the silver medalist, making it his third Laser World Championship win in four years.