World Sailing invite nominations for 2023 Rolex World Sailor of the Year

Rolex World Sailor of the Year

World Sailing and Rolex are inviting the global sailing community, whether a Member National Authority, class association, event organiser, coach, instructor, competitor, or sailing fan to nominate high achieving male and female sailors from any country, region, class, team or event.

Nominate your 2023 Rolex Sailor of the Year here.

Nominations for the men’s and women’s categories in the 2023 Rolex World Sailor of the Year must be received by World Sailing no later than 19.00 UTC on Thursday 5 October 2023.

This has been an all-action year for sailing with the World Cup Series, Allianz Sailing World Championships, and a full schedule of World Sailing Special Events including the America’s Cup, The Ocean Race, SailGP, the World Match Racing Tour, PAW World Windsurfing Tour, GKA Kite World Tour, GWA World Wingfoil Tour, IWSA WingFoil Racing World Tour, Star Sailors League, and Foiling Week.

With so many exceptional athletes at the peak of their performance and inspirational tales to tell, there are a lot of potential winners of this year’s Rolex World Sailor of the Year awards.

The Rolex World Sailor of the Year is the most prestigious award of recognition in the dynamic sport of sailing. This year’s award recognises outstanding achievement in the sport of sailing between 1 October 2022 to 5 October 2023. 

An expert judging panel comprising of influential figures from the sailing world will then draw up a shortlist to decide which of the inspirational sailors proceed to a public vote to decide this year’s Rolex World Sailor of the Year.  

Launched in 1994, the Rolex World Sailor of the Year is recognised as the highest award a sailor can receive in recognition of their outstanding achievements by the world of sailing. Past winners of the award include some of the most famous names the sport has ever seen. From the inaugural winners Sir Peter Blake and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to such luminaries as Sir Ben Ainslie and Dame Ellen Macarthur, as well as Olympic gold medalists and America’s Cup winners, the roll of honour reads like a who’s who of sailing. 

Team of the Year

Nominations are also invited for Team of the Year to honour crews of two or more sailors from any category of sailing. The award celebrates teams who personify the sporting values of integrity, ambition, resilience and resourcefulness. Past winners include three-time SailGP winners, Team Australia, multi-time offshore champions Wizard, and the Dongfeng Racing Team, winners of The Ocean Race in 2017-18.

Nominate your 2023 Team of the Year here.

Boat of the Year

The World Sailing Boat of the Year Award recognises outstanding boat design, innovative concepts and groundbreaking technological advancements that have advanced the sport of sailing, inspired a more sustainable approach to boat building and the lifespan of materials, or introduced a radical new design that will pioneer change across the world.  

 In 2022, the Vortex Pod Racer won the award for its aerodynamic design and carbon fibre construction which successfully combined high performance with safety to make the sport more accessible to a larger audience. The F50 Catamaran won the award in 2019 as it increased performance by 15% and was launched for SailGP as the successor to the AC50. The inaugural winner was the Ran VII-Fast 40 in 2018 which introduced a technologically advanced electric sail drive system ad unique shape before showing its capabilities by winning the One Ton Cup with an unprecedented six firsts and two second places. 

Nominate your 2023 Boat of the Year here.

The World Sailing Awards

Alongside Rolex World Sailor of the Year, the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award, Team of the Year and Boat of the Year, the Beppe Croce Trophy and President Development Award will also be presented to the winners at a live gala award ceremony on 14 November 2023 in Málaga, Spain, as part of the World Sailing Annual Conference.