The 2025 Sailing Awards Night was a glittering celebration of excellence, held on Friday, 6th September at the Colmslie Hotel. The event honoured Queensland’s most dedicated sailors, coaches, volunteers, and clubs, with representatives from across the state gathering to recognise a year of remarkable achievements both on and off the water. 

Hosted by Australian Sailing Queensland, the evening featured opening remarks from General Manager Annie Watson and Yachting Queensland Board President Kerry Noyes, who spoke passionately about the values of perseverance, community, and sportsmanship that underpin the sport. 

Among the most anticipated awards of the evening were Female Sailor of the Year, the Innovation Award, andthe highly respected Volunteer Awards. 

Stacey Jackson took home Female Sailor of the Year. Ahighly accomplished offshore sailor, 

having competed in two Volvo Ocean Races, andnumerousSydney Hobarts, this year she was one of only twoAustralians aboard Jolt (Yacht Club de Monaco), whichwon the prestigious Admiral’s Cup. 

The Whitsunday Sailing Club demonstrated exceptional innovation and leadership by powering Airlie Beach Race Week entirely off-grid using mobile, solar-powered trailers. These self-contained units generated and stored renewable energy, replacing diesel generators and eliminating grid dependency. This resulted in a cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable event, significantly reducing carbon emissions and enhancing the overall participant experience. The Club is now piloting a project to take its entire facility off-grid via a large-scale solar array to reduce operational costs, eliminate fossil fuel reliance, and set a national benchmark for sustainable marine event management.  

The importance of volunteers in the sailing community was highlighted this year by an amazing 9 esteemed volunteers from across Queensland as finalists for the prestigious Volunteer of the Year. Their service to the sport is significant, and inspiring for future generations in sailing. This year the winner was Donnah Jordan, who is driven by passion and lovefor the sport. As Secretary of Mackay Sailing Club, sheintroduced a successful new Festival of Sail location andsecured waterfront land for the club’s permanent home.She led the North QLD Sabot Associationinorganising the 2025 Sabot Nationals in theWhitsundays. 

Yachting Queensland extends sincere thanks to the presenters of the evening's awards: Kerry Noyes, Genevieve Warlow, Ken Hurling OAM and Olympian Mathew Belcher OAM, whose presence added prestige and inspiration to the evening. 

2025 Queensland Sailing Award Winners 

All state winners are now nominated for the Australian Sailing National Awards and the QSport Awards. Finalists for these honours will be announced soon, and Queensland’s sailing community wishes its nominees the very best of luck. 

To explore past winners and learn more about the history of the Queensland Sailing Awards, visit the Queensland Honour Board:https://www.sailing.org.au/state-awards-home/qld-sailing-awards/