Yachtsman of the Year

In 1962 Yachtsman of the Year was first awarded to Jock Sturrock and in 1996 the decision was made to split the category into the two Awards - Male Sailor of the Year and Female Sailor of the Year.

In 2014, it was decided to place all the names of the Male Sailor of the Year and Female Sailor of the Year from 1996 onwards alongside the great names of Australian sailing who won the Yachtsman of the Year Award between 1962 - 1996.

1962 – 63 Jock Sturrock
Skipper of the America’s Cup challenger Gretel

1963-64 Bryan Price
World Champion in the International 505

1964-65 Bill Northam
Olympic Gold Medallist in the 5.5 class at the 1964 Games

1965-66 Trygve & Magnus Halvorsen
Still unbeaten record of three successive wins in the Sydney to Hobart Race on board Freya

1966-67 Craig Whitworth & Bob Miller (later Ben Lexcen)
Australian Champions in the International Flying Dutchman

1967-68 John Cuneo
Australian Dragon representative at the 1968 Olympic Games

1968-69 Carl Ryves
Australian Flying Dutchman representative at the 1968 Olympic Games

1969-70 David McKay
World Champion in the International Moth

1970-71 Syd Fischer
World One Ton Champion on board Stormy Petrel

1971-72 John Gilder
World and Australian Champion in the International 420

1972-73 David Forbes
Olympic Gold Medallist in the Star class at the 1972 Games

1973-74 Peter Hollis
Twice World Champion in the International Contender

1974-75 Kevin McCann OAM
For outstanding services to yachting.

1975-76 Tom Stephenson
World Half Ton Champion on board Foxy Lady

1976-77 John Bertrand OAM
Olympic Bronze Medallist in the Finn at the 1976 Games

1977-78 Brian Lewis
Australian Champion and runner-up in the World Championship of the International Tornado

1978-79 Mike Fletcher AM
Australia’s first Olympic yachting coach

1979-80 Peter (Pod) O’Donnell
World Champion in the International Etchells 22

1980 – 81 Sir James Hardy OBE
America’s Cup helmsman on board Australia

1981-82 Mark Bethwaite
World Champion in both the International J24 and the International Soling classes

1982-83 Alan Bond, John Bertrand & Ben Lexcen
Winners of the America’s Cup on board Australia II

1983-84 Chris Cairns & Scott Anderson
Olympic Bronze Medallist in the Tornado at the 1984 Games and consecutive World Championships

1984-85 Iain Murray AM
World Champion in the International Etchells 22

1985-86 Colin Beashel OAM
World Champion in the International 12 metre on board Australia III

1986-87 Stuart Wallace
First Australian winner of the Laser World Championship

1987-88 Peter Gilmour
World Champion in the International 12 meter and International Match Racing Champion.

1988-89 Glenn Bourke
Twice World Champion in the International Laser

1989-90 Glenn Bourke
World Champion for an unprecedented third time in the International Laser

1990-91 John Dransfield
Three times World Champion in the International Fireball

1991-92 Mitch Booth & John Forbes
Olympic Bronze Medallists and World Champions in the International Tornado

1992 – 93 Syd Fischer
Winner of the 1992 Sydney to Hobart on board Ragamuffin and Captain of the Australian Admiral’s Cup Team

1993-94 Chris & Darren Nicholson
Twice World Champions in the International 505

1994-95 David Adams
Winner of Class 2 of the BOC Challenge solo round-the-world yacht race

1995-96 Mitch Booth & Andrew Landenberger
Olympic Silver Medallists in the International Tornado at the 1996 Games

In 1996 the award was restructured into Male Sailor of the Year and the Female Sailor of the Year