News Four former 420 sailors are nominated for the 2021 Sailor of the Year award

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Four former 420 sailors are nominated for the 2021 Sailor of the Year award

19
Nov 2021

World Sailing and Rolex have announced the nominees for this year’s Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards. Public voting is now open and closes at 1500 UTC on Thursday 2nd December.

The Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards is the most prestigious award of recognition in the dynamic sport of sailing. Since the awards inception in 1994, the trophy has proudly accumulated the names of those who have demonstrated unparalleled endurance, performance and accomplishment in sailing.

This is year as usual, the list of candidates is plenty of former 420 sailors, who transitioned from success in the 420 Class to success in Olympic Sailing and beyond. The shortlisted sailors are the following;

Female Nominees:

  • Anne Marie Rindom
  • Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze 2009 Youth World Champions in the 420 Class
  • Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre – Mills won the 2006 420 Women's World Championship
  • Clarisse Cremer
  • Daniela Moroz

Martina and Kahena were already awarded with this recognition in 2014, while Hannah received it in 2016 together with Saskia Clark.

Male Nominees:

  • Peter Burling and Blair Tuke – Burling won the 2006 and 2007 420 World Championship
  • Tom Slingsby
  • Yannick Bestaven
  • Kiran Badloe
  • Giles Scott

In case of winning the votation, for Peter it would be the third time receiving this award after being the World Sailor of the Year in 2015 (also with Blair) and 2017. 

This year's winners will be decided by public vote live on the World Sailing Awards 2021 online show on 2 December - Have your say and vote now here!

The winners will have their name engraved on the iconic marble and silver trophy depicting the globe, crowned with five silver spinnakers representing the continents, as well as a souvenir they will keep close to them forever. See past winners here.

There will be also a Sustainability Award, celebrating the delivery of high impact and replicable sustainability within the maritime industry. This recognition is supported by 11th Hour Racing and the nominations are the following;

  • Sail Africa Youth Development Foundation
  • Foiling SuMoth Challenge
  • International Optimist Dinghy Association
  • Northern Light Srl

More about Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2021

World Sailing launched the World Sailor of the Year Awards in 1994 to reward individual sailors for outstanding achievements in the sport.

Since 2001, Rolex has sponsored these awards - this year marks the 20-year milestone of the Rolex Sailor of the Year Awards.

World Sailing's 146 Member National Associations and its 119 Classes have nominated a record number of 39 athletes representing a total of 19 nations from across the entire discipline spectrum for the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2021.

These nominations have been shortlisted by an expert nine-strong panel, including five former World Sailing Award winners: Jo Aleh (NZL), Theresa Zabell (ESP), Santiago Lange (ARG), Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Shirley Robertson (GBR) - alongside Dee Caffari (GBR), Craig Leweck (USA), Yann Rocherieux (FRA) and Luca Rizzotti (ITA).

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