The 2018-19 season was another wildly successful one for Australian sailors both home and abroad. World champions across multiple classes and record club memberships drove a record number of nominations for the 2019 Australian Sailing Awards, with the best today announced as finalists for the sport’s peak awards.

This year’s awards will feature two new categories, with the SheSails Award set to reward those who have driven female participation in the sport and the Sustainability Award recognising the clubs, classes, associations or individuals who have contributed to a more sustainable sailing industry.

Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth capped off a huge year with nominations in five of the fourteen categories. The club has been nominated for the prestigious Club of the Year and SheSails awards, with club members and staff Geoff Brown (Official of the Year), Ben Walkemeyer (Coach of the Year) and Debbie Blaauw (Sports Professional) also in the running for gongs.

Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is another with multiple nominees with Jason Waterhouse in Male Sailor of the Year, Richard Slater in Official of the Year and Stacey Jackson on behalf of Ocean Respect Racing nominated in the Sustainability Award category.

Other clubs with multiple nominees include the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia with three (Jessica Grimes – Female Sailor of the Year, Matt Allen AM – Offshore Sailor of the Year and Invictus Games – Sports Promotion), Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club (two), Royal Brighton Yacht Club (two), Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (two), Somers Yacht Club (two) and Fremantle Sailing Club (two).

The Male Sailor of the Year category is an all Australian Sailing Team (AST) affair, with Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (Men’s 470), Jason Waterhouse (Nacra 17) and last year’s winner Matt Wearn (Laser) named as the nominees. The team of Belcher/Ryan and Wearn were named as the first individual members of the Australian Olympic Team for next year’s Tokyo Games last month, with Belcher/Ryan also announced as a finalist for the World Sailing Sailor of the Year award this week.

Young match racer Jessica Grimes joins AST members Lisa Darmanin (Nacra 17) and Nia Jerwood and Monique de Vries (Women’s 470) as finalists in the Female Sailor of the Year category. Grimes was rewarded after winning the New South Wales, Australian and World Youth Match Racing Championships in the nomination period.

Australia’s haul of medals at the Youth Sailing World Championships will see teammates go head to head in the Youth Sailor of the Year category, with Will Cooley and Rebecca Hancock (Gold – Nacra 15), Zac Littlewood (Silver – Laser Radial) and Archie Cropley and Max Paul (Bronze – 29er) and all ready to add to their haul from 2019.

The gala dinner will also feature the induction of four new inductees to the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame, delivered in conjunction with the Australian National Maritime Museum. The Hall of Fame is now in its third year, as it aims to celebrate the sport’s history and those who have made significant contributions to our rich history.

Tickets to attend the Gala Dinner are now available to purchase, please click here to reserve yours today.

2019 Australian Sailing Awards Finalists

Male Sailor of the Year

Mat Belcher OAM and Will Ryan
Jason Waterhouse
Matthew Wearn

Female Sailor of the Year

Lisa Darmanin
Jessica Grimes
Nia Jerwood and Monique de Vries

Sailor of the Year with a disability

Matthew Bugg
Chris Symonds
Alison Weatherly

Youth Sailor of the Year

Will Cooley and Bec Hancock
Archie Cropley and Max Paul
Zac Littlewood        

Offshore Sailor of the Year

Matt Allen AM
Jade Cole
Phillip Turner

Sport Promotion Award

Adrian Bram
Invictus Games - Sailing Regatta
Ocean Racing Club of Victoria

Sports Professional Award

Debbie Blaauw
Ben Fels
Ella Sagnol

Sustainability Award

Ocean Respect Racing
The George Mac Regatta
Ocean Racing Club of Victoria

SheSails Award

Jan Howard and Mary Holley
Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club
Wendy Wilson

Volunteer Award

Peter Merritt
Scott Ragg
Daryl Skinner

Club of the Year

Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club
Royal Brighton Yacht Club
Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club

Official of the Year

Geoff Brown
Paul Effeney
Richard Slater

Coach of the Year

Michael Blackburn
Victor Kovalenko OAM
Ben Walkemeyer

Instructor of the Year

Diane Kelsey
Emma Morris
Brett Yardley