Since Jock Sturrock won Yachtsman of the Year in 1963 for his role as Skipper of the America’s Cup challenger Gretel, no person has won the award more times than Tom Slingsby and his five gongs. 

He is back as a finalist again this year, but will find heavy competition from two of Australia’s finest sailors in Will Sargent and Matt Wearn OAM. 

22-year-old Derwent Sailing Squadron member Will Sargent has long shown championship qualities that promised a bright future at the top of the sailing performance pyramid. This season the promise came to fruition with dominant performances across a variety of sailing disciplines and classes.  

Across the performance period Will won not one but two SB20 World Youth World Championships, and at the 2023 event added the title of World Champion to his resume when he skippered the SB20 ARES to win the 2023 SB20 World Championships in the Netherlands. This was in addition to the Australian and Tasmanian SB20 titles he achieved earlier in the season.  

Representing the CYCA academy over numerous match racing events, Will skippered his team to win the prestigious Hardy Cup match racing regatta along with numerous other podium and significant international results over the course of the season. 

Will Sargent

Tom Slingsby OAM is back as a finalist for the Male Sailor of the Year Award, looking to go back-to-back after being announced as the winner in 2022. 

Slingsby had another monster international year, dominating the hugely competitive SailGP circuit yet again in his role as CEO and Helmsman of the Australian team. 

This season he led Australia to an unprecedented three-peat in Season 3 of SailGP when they won the Grand Final in San Francisco. No other team has won a SailGP series thanks to Tom's leadership of the Australian team, who have become ruthless competitors and huge under the pressure of the winner-takes-all Grand Final. 

Australia won 4 of the 11 regattas throughout the season, with Slingsby leading the way from the Helmsman seat. 

Tom Slingsby OAM

Olympic ILCA 7 Champion Matt Wearn battled illness and injury in 2022/23, but still managed to put together another elite season that has him primed for another Olympic campaign heading into Paris 2024. 

Matt worked his way through the season beautifully, with top ten results at the European Championships (where he won Bronze), Palma and Hyeres before peaking beautifully for the Olympic Test Event in Marseille.  

Entering the Medal Race in second, he blitzed the field and made up the necessary points deficit on Brit Mickey Beckett on his way to winning Gold.  

As always, Matt backs up his on-water performances with the graces of good sportsmanship off it, as one of the most respected competitors on the world sailing circuit. 

Matt Wearn

The winner of the Male Sailor of the Year Award will be announced at the 2023 Australian Sailing Awards on November 3. For more information on the Awards including a full list of finalists, click here.