The Ocean Racer of the Year Awards were established by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in 1985 to recognise the outstanding achievements of yachtsmen and yachtswomen Australia wide.
Alongside the Blue Water Champion, being recognised in one of the Ocean Racer of the Year categories is one of the most prestigious and sought-after awards of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s sailing program.
The Ocean Racer of the Year Awards are held annually in conjunction with the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Prizegiving and recognise outstanding achievements from the 2020 year. The Ocean Racer of the Year Awards and Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Prizegiving will be held Friday 26 March 2021 at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
The awards accepting nominations are:
- Ocean Racing Yachtsperson of the Year – the most prestigious of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s five awards, presented to the leader of an Australian Ocean Racing campaign who has excelled above others.
- Sally Gordon Memorial Trophy for the Ocean Crew Person of the Year – an award which recognises a non-professional crew member that contributes significantly to a program, and can be a crew member who greatly assists in the preparation of the boat prior or post racing, or assists in completing paperwork and other association race documentation.
- Ocean Veteran of the Year – awarded to a stalwart of the sport who has either been campaigning for a number of years or who has returned to offshore racing after a brief hiatus from the sport of sailing.
- Ocean Rookie of the Year – awarded to a competitor who, whilst maybe no foreigner to crewing or participating in ocean racing, has for the first time campaigned their own boat within the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s blue water Sailing Program.
- Ocean Navigator of the Year – an award which recognises the integral role that navigators play in the successful campaign of a yacht.
- Youth Ocean Racer of the Year – awarded for the first time this year to recognise up-and-coming offshore sailors under 25 years of age (as of nomination period below) who have demonstrated a keen commitment to offshore racing.
All nominations should be in respect of performances and achievements during the period 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020. The CYCA would like to invite Clubs to nominate sailors they believe have encapsulated the above qualities – click here to nominate.
Please note nominations close Friday 12 March 2021. Nominees can be nominated for multiple categories.
For more information please contact Sailing Manager Tara Blanc-Ramos on (02) 8292 7802 or via email.
