Three worthy finalists have been recognised in the Sport Professional category for positively contributing to sailing in areas including instructing, coaching, officiating, management and administration at the 2026 Australian Sailing Awards. 

Up for the Award is Joal Mackenzie (SA) for building participation numbers and opportunities at Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club Sailing School, Greg Rowlings (TAS) going above and beyond as Teach in Charge of Sailing at the Hutchins Schooland Melissa Warren (VIC) for breaking barriers and growing participation as Sailing Manager at Mornington Yacht Club.  

The nation’s peak sailing awards will be held at the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour on Friday, October 30. 

The Finalists: 

Joal Mackenzie 

In his first season leading the Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club Sailing School, Joal Mackenzie oversaw around 914 participant engagements across school programs, adult sailing, holiday programs, windsurfing, Tackers and the Youth Squad. 

Joal broadened the range of opportunities on offer, introducing or expanding Learn to Windsurf, windsurf racing development, teen and girls clinics, equipment hire and a six-week adult transition program that bridges the gap between learning to sail and regular club sailing. 

His Tacks & Tikka initiative targets sailors who love the sport but no longer have a boat or regular crew. On Wednesday evenings they arrive to find club Pacers rigged and ready, go sailing, then stay for the club’s curry night. The first two pilot sessions attracted 32 participants and put eight Pacers on the water each time. 

Joal’s contribution increasingly extends across BSYC’s wider sailing operation, from developing young instructors and supporting youth coaching to reviewing the club’s RIB fleet and contributing to its Sailing Operations Alignment Review. 

Joal combines professional sailing knowledge with enthusiasm, initiative and a willingness to try practical ideas. His first season has delivered strong participation numbers, but his larger contribution has been to ask a better question: not "How many people can we teach to sail?" but "How do we help more people keep sailing?" 

Greg Rowlings 

As Teacher in Charge of Sailing at The Hutchins School, Greg Rowlings has driven unprecedented growth and success in the school’s sailing program over the past four years, building a pathway from introductory sailing to elite team racing. 

Over the past 12 months Greg restructured the program’s sailing and coaching framework to support growing participation, laying the foundations for Hutchins’ success in team sailing at state, national and international level. 

He instructs in the school’s Tackers program for Years 3–6, coordinates the Hutchins Optimist Bursary Program, manages the team sailing program’s state, national and international campaigns, and co-ordinates the Hutchins SB20 program alongside Nick Corkhill. 

Greg represents Tasmania on the Australia Team Sailing Association Committee and supported Sandy Bay Sailing Club in hosting the Australian Secondary Schools Teams Sailing Championships. He also continues his own development as a Senior Dinghy Instructor. 

Sailing is not Greg’s primary role. He is first and foremost a teacher, and the time and expertise he gives to the sport are driven by his passion for sailing and commitment to young people. 

Melissa Warren 

Appointed Mornington Yacht Club’s first-ever Sailing Manager, Melissa Warren has delivered measurable growth across every fleet and activity in her first year in the role. 

Melissa leads the sailing school end to end. Winter Training Camp numbers grew from around 10–15 sailors to more than 30 per camp, the 420 fleet grew from three to seven boats, and Pacer rentals went from zero to 18 users. 

Among her operational improvements, Melissa simplified the onboarding process for new instructors, making it faster and more straight forward for new coaching staff to get up to speed and start delivering programs. 

She expanded MYC’s keelboat capacity, funding four instructors to gain keelboat licences and lifting use of the club’s S80 keelboat by 350%. She also mentored the club’s Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta team, which achieved several podium results.Under Melissa's management, the club's junior/youth sailing pathway has grown from a taster program through to representative racing.  

Melissa introduced new courses in splicing, diesel maintenance and VHF radio, along with a trailer reversing course for women that attracted 50 participants. She also hosted three public panel evenings expanding the club’s reach, including an International Women’s Day event, Offshore Racing Talk, and a Dolphin Dilemma screening supporting Mammal Foundation Research.  

By opening club courses to the wider sailing community Melissa is strengthening MYC’s ties with neighbouring clubs.