World Sailing is proud to announce the nominees in this year’s Rolex World Sailor of the Year, 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award and Team of the Year.
The nominees for each award represent the very highest achievement in the sport over the past year. From Allianz Sailing World Championships gold-medallists and World Sailing Special Event winners to world record holders, as well as those making huge strides to modernise the sport at every level.
Voting for all three awards opens today and everyone who loves sailing is invited to help decide the winners. Voting closes at midnight UTC on Monday, 30 October.
The 2023 Rolex World Sailor of the Year nominees:
Female
Betsy Alison: Alison showed great courage with an inspirational win in the Hansa 303 at the Allianz Sailing World Championships, less than a year after surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from the American’s hip.
Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler: The Swedish duo’s dominant perfomance in the 49erFX secured victory at the Allianz Sailing World Championships in The Hague as they won seven out of 15 races and earned podium positions in five others.
Kristen Neuschafer: South African Neuschafer wrote her name into the history books by becoming the first woman to win the solo Golden Globe Race, a journey around the world reliant on no modern technology. She also came to the rescue of a fellow competitor during the course of the race.
Lauriane Nolot: France’s Nolot defined consistency in 2023 with Formula Kite victories in the Sailing World Championships, the Paris 2024 Test Event, the Princes Sofia Regatta and the Semaine Olympique Francaise De Voile.
Male
Charlie Enright: An exceptional performance in The Ocean Race, saw Enright become the first American skipper to win the event with his leadership of the 11th Hour Racing Team.
Bart Lambriex and Floris van de Werken: Lambriex and Van de Werken won the 49er world title for the third time in a row, this time with a race to spare on home waters at the Allianz Sailing World Championships. The Dutch pair also won 49er gold at the Paris 2024 Test Event in Marseille with a race to spare.
Max Maeder: The Singaporean teenager amassed a pile of medals in 2023, including golds at the Allianz Sailing World Championships, the Asian Games and the Formula Kite Youth World Championships.
Tom Slingsby: Slingsby secured victory for Team Australia in SailGP Season 3 in May, marking their third consecutive season win and has achieved four podium finishes in Season 4 to date. The Australian also skippered American Magic to victory in the inaugural event of the 2024 America’s Cup held in Vilanova in September
