Three young sailors have been shortlisted as National finalists for Youth Sailor of the Year, with the winner to be announced at the 2023 Australian Sailing Awards on November 3 in Sydney.

Evie Haseldine (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia/ Drummoyne Sailing Club, NSW) is the first of the finalists to be announced, having emerged alongside Skipper Olivia Price to become not just Australia's Number one ranked 49erFX team, but also a force to be reckoned with on the world stage.

The fledgling team only joined forces last year, and with Haseldine as crew guiding Price and the boat, the pair have gone on to record three consecutive top twelve finishes at major international regatta,s as well as a first place at Sail Melbourne 2023 earlier this year.

Haseldine and Price were Australia's selection for the Paris 2024 Olympic Test Event, where they went on to qualify for the Top Ten medal race before finishing the regatta in tenth.

Evie Haseldine

A talented iQFoil athlete, Harry Joyner (Fremantle Sailing Club, WA), has represented Australia internationally at the highest level of Youth and IQFOiL competition over the past year.

Joyner has participated in various Youth Championship events, most notably the iQFOiL European Championships held in Lake Garda in July 2023, where, having led the 400+ contestant regatta throughout qualifying, he ultimately placed second in the outright one-race final.

Additional results include seventh at the 2022 IQ Youth & Junior European Championships in Brest France, and second at Sail Melbourne 2023.

Joyner demonstrates an incredible work ethic and is determined to continue developing in the sport of Olympic Class Windfoiling.

Harry Joyner

The past 12 months have seen Louis Tilly (Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, NSW) perform outstandingly at State, National and International levels, both in the WASZP and Elliot 7 classes.

In January 2023, Tilly placed second in the Australian WASZP Nationals before competing in the New Zealand WASZP Nationals, again finishing second overall (first Junior).

Additionally, after winning the SailGP Inspire event in Sydney, Tilly represented Australia at the SailGP Inspire Grand Final in San Francisco in May. He was the youngest competitor and, against champions from all over the globe, finished 7th in the male category.

Tilly is not only dedicated to his craft but committed to giving back to his club, recently instigating and instructing at several “Try a WASZP” days at his club, contributing to the explosive growth in the WASZP Class on Pittwater.

Louis Tilly

The winner of the Youth Sailor of the Year category will be announced at the 2023 Australian Sailing Awards in Sydney on November 3. For more information on the National Awards as well as ticket availability, click here.