Sailing’s best to be celebrated at 2023 World Sailing Awards in Málaga

Nominations for the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award are open now. The award celebrates effective execution or ongoing delivery of high-impact, highly-replicable sustainability initiatives, aligned to World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030.

In addition, nominations will open from August for the Rolex World Sailor of the Year, the ultimate recognition of excellence in sailing, as well as Team of the Year and Boat of the Year.

The Rolex World Sailor of the Year is the highest award a sailor can receive in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the world of sailing. Past winners of World Sailor of the Year Awards have been drawn from the many diverse disciplines of the sport and read like a who’s who of sailing, from Olympic greats and America’s Cup skippers to pioneering pairs and dominant duos. Last year’s awards were won by Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti of Italy after they struck gold at Tokyo 2020 and won both the World and European Championships.

The 2023 World Sailing Awards will also see the return of the President’s Development Award and Beppe Croce Trophy presented, awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the sport.

David Graham, World Sailing Chief Executive Officer, “We are very happy to celebrate excellence in sailing once again with the support of Rolex, our partners for more than 20 years. Sailing is blessed with incredible stories of triumph, courage, innovation and dedication, and the World Sailing Awards is an annual celebration of everything that makes our sport great. On behalf of World Sailing, I am looking forward to seeing the full diversity of sailing on display in the nominations for all awards.”

Nominations open now for 11th Hour Racing World Sailing Sustainability Award

Nominations are open now for the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award. Winners will receive a $10,000 USD prize to further their sustainability programme. There are a rapidly growing number of sustainability initiatives across the world of sailing and anyone can enter via the World Sailing website.  

Graham added, “We are also thankful for the continued support of 11th Hour Racing – the newly-crowned champions of The Ocean Race – for their continued commitment to showcasing the most innovative, creative and pioneering projects to make sailing more environmentally conscious and have a positive impact in the community.”

Last year’s award was presented to German boatbuilders Greenboats for the design and manufacture of natural fibre products and components which have demonstrated a viable sustainable alternative to conventional composite materials which has the potential to completely change the footprint of sailing.

2023 World Sailing Annual Conference

The city of Málaga will also host the 2023 World Sailing Annual Conference from 13-18 November 2023 in partnership with the Málaga Tourism Board.

Approximately 450-600 international delegates – including sailors, event organisers, Member National Authorities (MNAs), committee members, Class Associations, boat manufacturers and representatives from World Sailing partners from around the world – will convene to discuss and shape the direction of the sport, help to plan future events and agree new policies, rules and regulations to increase equality, accessibility and participation at every level of sailing from elite competition to grassroots.

Graham added, “We are delighted to partner with the Málaga Tourism Board to host this year’s World Sailing Annual Conference and kickstart the long-term development of sailing in the city. The Annual Conference is an opportunity for members from across the world to meet, share in each other’s success and enact positive change for the entire sport. We look forward to working closely with the Málaga Tourism Board in the coming months to deliver an event that will leave a lasting legacy for sailing in the city.”  

Jacobo Florido, Deputy Mayor on Tourism, added, “The Málaga Tourism Board is very pleased to welcome World Sailing to our city for the 2023 Annual Conference. World Sailing’s faith in the city of Málaga to host such an important event is the first step towards fulfilling our ambitions and we are confident that this will provide the impetus for realising the potential of the beautiful coastline to become home to sailing clubs, host prestigious events and develop a thriving sailing community here. 

Full details about the 2023 World Sailing Annual Conference, including timings, submissions, agendas and supporting papers, are available on the World Sailing website.  

Málaga is easily accessible within Europe by more than 60 airlines, including low-cost carriers and is connected to major cities worldwide with codeshare agreements with international airlines. More information about Málaga can be found on the official Málaga Tourism Board website.