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  Decisions in sailing — Sailing news from North America & beyond
 | | Saskia Clark, Hannah Mills and Santiago Lange with the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award © World Sailing |
As Americans on both sides of the political divide reel from the election results and begin to wrap their heads around the realities of a Trump presidency, another selection took place on the international sailing stage that warrants significant mention, especially given the fact that it involves one of the best stories to have emerged from the sailing world in years.
Each year, the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards are given to sailors for truly outstanding performances, and it should come as little surprise that 2016's class of inductees earned their medals on the waters off of Rio de Janeiro at the 2016 Rio Olympics (August 5-21), given the level of sailing caliber to have competed at this quadrennial regatta.
 | | Santiago Lange and Cecilla Saroli about to round the leeward mark in the Nacra 17 Medal race. Summer Olympics © Richard Gladwell |
I'll make no secret the fact that I have long been holding hope that Santiago Lange (55; ARG) would take the top prize home for the male division, and while I was sorely disappointed by the results of the U.S. presidential election, I was elated by the section process for this coveted award, which saw a truly deserving sailor ascend one of the sport's most prestigious stages.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with Lange, the six-time Olympian arrived in Rio with two bronze medals from previous Games, as well as a single lung, the later being the result of a battle with cancer. Lange not only fought his way back from the surgery room to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics in the highly competitive mixed-sex Nacra 17 multi-hull class, but the father of two (N.B., his sons, Yago and Klaus Lange were competing in the 49er class at this summer's Games, where they finished in seventh place) also won the final nail-biting race of the class' Olympic regatta to take home gold.
Impressively, Lange was also the oldest Olympic sailors competing at Rio, and one of the oldest athletes at the Games, proving that even in a class like the Nacra 17, experience and skill matter most.
 | | Santiago Raul Lange / Cecilia Carranza Saroli (ARG) in Nacra 17 - 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games Sailing Energy/World Sailing |
'This is a very emotional moment in a very long sailing career,” said Lange. “It is a win for 'us' because I could not have done it without [my crewmate] Cecilia [Carranza Saroli]. I want to thank all the other [Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award] nominees; they are athletes I really admire. Only the very best win gold medals at the Games, and I have a lot of respect for all the other nominees.'
On the women's side of the aisle, Hannah Mills (28; GBR) and Saskia Clark (37; GBR) each took home new Rolexes. The pair narrowly missed out on winning a gold medal on their home waters during the 2012 London Olympics in the Women's 470 class, and were forced to “settle” for silver-a competitive shortcoming that the two elite sailors were keen to correct on the waters of Rio's Guanabara Bay. Despite fierce competition in this talent-riven class, Mills and Clark arrived fit and ready to perform at this summer's Games, and-come the medal ceremony-the two found themselves standing on the podium's top step, listening to “God Save the Queen”.
 | | GBR Saskia Clark and Hannah Mills cross to complete the Medal race and confirm their Gold Medal win. _ Womens Medal race - 2016 Olympic Sailing © Richard Gladwell |
'It is totally overwhelming to win this award, to see the names of previous winners, the legends of sailing in the room with us,' said Clark. “We really weren't expecting this.”
While Clark may have been caught off guard by the award, Mills was able to pinpoint the source of the team's success. “The whole basis of our campaign was teamwork, our bond,” said Mills. “To cap our year with winning this award is absolutely incredible.”
 | | Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) celebrate their victory – Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition © Sailing Energy / World Sailing |
Meanwhile, in offshore racing news, the eyes of the sailing world are now riveted on the Vendee Globe race, which began on November 6 in Sables d'Olonne, France. This non-stop, solo-around-the-world race is contested aboard wildly powerful IMOCA 60 monohulls that use an assortment of foils and daggerboards to shave time off of this prestigious racetrack.
This year, 29 skippers answered this race's siren's song of adventure, including American Rich Wilson (66), who is sailing aboard Great American IV with the goal of sharing his experiences with schoolchildren, who follow his adventures online.
 | | Hugo Boss IMOCA 60 testing foils ahead of the start of the 2016 Vendee Globe start © Hugo Boss |
At the time of this writing, Alex Thomson, sailing aboard Hugo Boss was enjoying a 38-mile lead over Armel Le Cleac'h and Sebastien Josse, sailing aboard Banque Populaire VIII and Edmond De Rothschild (respectively), as the fleet enters the Doldrums, en route to the breezy South Atlantic.
Be sure to check out all the great Vendee Globe coverage, inside, and stay tuned for the latest news from this truly wild race, as it becomes known.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor
Allen Brothers METS Launches - Stronger, Faster, Smoother, Lighter
Jeremy Nicholson, Allen Brothers, 
This year at METS (RAI Amsterdam, 15-17 November) Allen Brothers, the UK manufacturer of high performance sailing hardware, will be launching new blocks, cleats and accessories to complement its range of innovative, high quality products.... [more]
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