The World Sailing Awards 2023, celebrating excellence and achievement in sailing, will take place on Tuesday 14 November 2023, starting from 19.30 UTC in Málaga, Spain.
Headlining the awards ceremony, presented by Alec Wilkinson and Natasha González, which brings together people from across the whole of the sport will be the Rolex World Sailor of the Year where a male and female winner, decided by a panel of experts and a public vote, will be announced.
Also being presented will be the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award which celebrates the delivery of high-impact, highly-replicable sustainability initiatives, aligned to World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030, and Team of the Year in recognition of teams who personify integrity, ambition, resilience and resourcefulness.
The World Sailing Boat of the Year award will also be presented to mark outstanding boat design, innovative concepts and ground-breaking technological advancements that are changing the face of sailing, pioneering change across the world.
In addition, the Beppe Croce Trophy will be awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding voluntary contribution to the sport of sailing, and the President’s Development Award will be presented to an individual or organisation in honour of their contribution to the growth and development of sailing, either nationally or internationally.
Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2023
A total of eight of the sport’s highest achieving athletes, including world champions, Olympic medallists, world record holders, and inspirational offshore sailors have been shortlisted this year.
The winners will have their name engraved on the iconic marble and silver trophy depicting the globe, crowned with five silver spinnakers representing the continents, as well as an engraved Rolex watch.
The 2023 Rolex World Sailor of the Year finalists are:
Female category
- Betsy Alison (USA)
- Kirsten Neuschäfer (RSA)
- Lauriane Nolot (FRA)
- Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler (SWE)
Male category
- Charlie Enright (USA)
- Bart Lambriex and Floris van de Werken (NED)
- Max Maeder (SGP)
- Tom Slingsby (AUS)
More details about the nominees and their achievements can be found here.
World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award 2023
The 2023 nominees are:
More details about the nominees and their initiatives can be found here.
Team of the Year
The Team of the Year Award will be presented to a crew of two or more sailors from any category of sailing and celebrates teams who personify the sporting values of integrity, ambition, resilience and resourcefulness.
This year’s nominees are:
- 11th Hour Racing Team (USA)
- Australia SailGP (AUS)
- Bart Lambriex and Floris van de Werken (NED)
- Match in Pink Normandy Elite Team (FRA)
Boat of the Year
The World Sailing Boat of the Year Award will be presented in recognition of outstanding boat design, innovative concepts and ground-breaking technological advancements that are changing the face of sailing, pioneering change across the world.
About the World Sailing Awards
World Sailing launched the World Sailor of the Year Awards in 1994 to reward individual sailors for outstanding achievements in the sport. Rolex has been sponsors of the award since 2001, celebrating more than two decades of excellence and achievement in sailing.
World Sailing and 11th Hour Racing joined forces in 2018 to celebrate the delivery of high impact and replicable sustainability within the maritime industry aligned to World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030. The winner will receive a 10,000 USD prize to fund their continued sustainability efforts and the iconic trophy made from recycled carbon fibre from an America’s Cup boat infused with bio resin.
The World Sailing Annual Conference is organised and supported by the Official Host Venue Partner, the Málaga Tourism Board.
