A Formula 18 world title, a history-making Congressional Cup victory and a remarkably consistent Nacra 17 Olympic campaign headline the Team of the Year finalists at the 2026 Australian Sailing Awards. 

It will be tough to split Brett Burvill and Max Puttman (WA), Kairos Racing (NSW/ACT) and Brin Liddell OLY and Rhiannan Brown OLY (NSW/ACT), who have all taken on the world’s best and come out on top or close to it. 

The nation’s peak sailing awards will be held at the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour on Friday, October 30, with the winners set to join an illustrious honour roll including Olympians, World Champions and legends of the sport. 

The Finalists: 

Brett Burvill and Max Puttman 

In January 2026, Brett Burvill and Max Puttman claimed the Formula 18 Catamaran World Championship against a fleet of 76 boats, beating catamaran legends Glenn Ashby and Darren Bundock for the title.  

Racing against the world’s best in one of the most competitive high-performance multihull classes, the Jervoise Bay Sailing Club pair showed exceptional skill, consistency and determination to take the title.Despite a career spanning more than 25 years in the Formula 18 class, multiple podium finishes and countless race wins for Burvill, this is his first world titlein the class. 

Winning a world championship demands complete trust, seamless communication and flawless execution under pressure, qualities Brett and Max displayed throughout their campaign. 

Their victory lifted the profile of Australian multihull sailing, inspiring the next generation of catamaran sailors. 

Kairos Racing 

Kairos Racing became one of the youngest teams in history to win one of the world’s top sailing trophies, the Congressional Cup, claiming the iconic Crimson Blazer at Long Beach Yacht Club in California in May. 

Skippered by 23-year-old Cole Tapper, the Sydney team of Max Brennan, Jack Frewin, Nathan Gulliksen, George Richardson and Hamish Vass became only the second Australian crew to win the event in its 61-year history, and the first since Peter Gilmour in 1988. 

Known as the “granddaddy” of modern match racing, the Congressional Cup is the world’s oldest annual one-design match racing event and was the second world championship stop on the 2026 World Match Racing Tour. Its past winners include Russell Coutts, Dean Barker, Ian Williams, Dennis Connor and Ken Read. 

After squeezing into the semi-finals in fourth place, Kairos Racing produced one of the biggest comebacks in the event’s history, recovering from 0–2 down against World No. 1 and two-time winner Chris Poole (USA) to win 3–2. They then swept defending champion Eric Monnin 3–0 in the final, going on to claim the event win6–0 on the final day.  

It was the team’s third tilt at the event, after finishing 8th in 2024 and 3rd in 2025, and made them the youngest team to win the Congressional Cup since international competitors were first invited. 

Brin Liddell OLY and Rhiannan Brown OLY 

Paris 2024 OlympiansBrin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown continued to establish themselves among the world’s leading Nacra 17 crews with an exceptionally consistent 2025–26 season, finishing inside the top 10 at all six major international regattas they contested. 

The pair finished fourth on three occasions, including the 2025 World Championships, the 2026 European Championships and the Sailing Grand Slam Kiel Week.  

Other results include 8th at the Sailing Grand Slam Trofeo Princesa Sofía. 7th at the Sailing Grand Slam – French Olympic Week and 10th at the 2026 World Championships, along with victory at Sail Melbourne. 

Training alongside the Australian Nacra 17 squad, Brin and Rhiannan have made significant gains in boat speed and race execution, repeatedly challenging the world’s best and narrowly missing the podium on several occasions. 

With strong momentum behind them, the Wangi Amateur Sailing Club pair are well placed to turn their consistent top-four finishes into international podiums as they continue their Los Angeles 2028 campaign. 

Previous winners: 

2024-25 Team Magpie 

2023-24 Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine 

2022-23 Australia SailGP Team 

2021-22 Lisa Blair 

2020-21 Duncan Hine 

2018-19 Matt Allen AM 

2017-18 Wendy Tuck