YJA MS Amlin 'International Sailor of the Decade' announced!

Who wins is anyone's guess at this point! © Round the Island Race 2019 / Mark Jardine

After the huge disappointments of having to cancel the YJA MS Amlin Awards Gala Dinner in September, in addition to taking the decision not to award the 'Yachtsman of the Year', 'Young Sailor of the Year' or 'Young Blogger of the Year' in 2020, both the Yachting Journalists' Association (YJA) and MS Amlin Boat Insurance are delighted to announce a brand new award, the YJA MS Amlin 'International Sailor of the Decade' award.

The past decade has seen so much action and development on the water. Boat designs that were unthinkable ten years ago are now a regular part of the sailing landscape and the trickle-down effect is seeing all types of benefit from the advances in technology. Alongside this new era, we have seen a cohort of exciting personalities rise on the international stage, with the household names continuing to enjoy sailing and rising to the challenges being thrown down by the younger generation.

The YJA MS Amlin 'International Sailor of the Decade' aims to recognise the achievements of the sailors who have had the greatest positive impact on our great sport and pastime.

Yachting Journalists' Association Chairman, Cliff Webb said, "We are absolutely delighted that MS Amlin's support of the YJA will continue with the creation of this new award, one that will honour such fabulous achievements from the world of boating. It is an exciting response to this difficult situation with the pandemic, one that has affected water sports globally. Establishing a new award with a new trophy offers YJA members the opportunity to celebrate the greatest participants in our sport over the last decade."

MS Amlin Boat Insurance Business Development Manager, Paul Knox-Johnston added, "MS Amlin Boat Insurance are delighted to be supporting this new initiative from the YJA. As the decade draws to a close in a year which has seen little competitive sailing and so much gloom, we have a great opportunity to celebrate all that has gone before and create a prestigious new award for the sailing fraternity to aim for every ten years. There have been so many great sailing achievements since 2010 and I look forward to a long list of entries from around the world for the YJA to deliberate on."

Nominations for the YJA MS Amlin 'International Sailor of the Decade' will be open to all from September 10th until October 23rd 2020 via the YJA website: yja.world/nomination-form-yja-ms-amlin-international-sailor-of-the-decade with the presentation of the award being held during the Yacht Racing Forum on 23rd November.

The awards will be livestreamed worldwide via social media and on the major sailing news platforms. The trophy will be unique and striking, details of which will be announced closer to the presentation itself.

2020 is not the year that any of us envisioned, but the past decade of sailing personalities deserves recognition and to be celebrated.