Female Sailor of the Year
2023-24 Breiana Whitehead
Breiana Whitehead is a pro at tearing up the waves in the Formula Kite class and her success provided her with a ticket to the Paris Games for Team Australia.
2022-23 Mara Stransky
Stransky put together her most consistent season to date, collecting 18 race podiums in her wake. She notched top fifteen results at the 2022 European and World Championships before top ten finishes at the European Championships and Trofeo Princesa Sofía in 2023.
2021-22 Mara Stransky
Olympian Mara Stransky has experienced significant international success over the past twelve months. After finishing sixth at the ILCA 6 Women's World Championships in Oman, she went on to place fourth at the Allianz World Cup in Holland before securing a resounding win at Kiel Week against a quality fleet.
2020 - 21 Lisa Darmanin
Lisa Darmanin proved again in 2020/21 that she is among the very elite female sailors in Australia, finishing 5th at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 1st at a Coaches regatta in Europe during the awards period.
2019 - 20 Lisa Darmanin
Tokyo Olympic selection Lisa Darmanin claimed back-to-back bronze medals at the two Nacra 17 World championships held during the awards nomination period.
2018 - 19 Nia Jerwood & Monique de Vries
For Fremantle Sailing Club’s Jerwood & de Vries, the last 12 months has been their best to date as they qualified Australia a place at the 2020 Olympic Games in the Women’s 470 class. The young team finished 9th place overall at the 470 World Championships and backed this up at the World Cup Series with an impressive second place.
2017 - 18 Wendy Tuck
Wendy Tuck broke new ground this season becoming the first female skipper to ever win a round the world yacht race.
2016 - 17 Tash Bryant & Annie Wilmot
Tash and Annie have stepped it up in the 49er FX having a stellar year. Their success has seen them recognised as the Female Sailors of the Year for 2017.
2015 - 16 Lisa Darmanin
Together with her cousin Jason Waterhouse, Lisa Darmanin won the Silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the Nacra 17 Class. Their success on the water was exceptional in this highly competitive class, which made its Olympic debut. A margin of just one point separated all three medal positions >> Nomination Citation
2014 - 15 Lisa Darmanin
Together with Jason Waterhouse, Lisa Darmanin has enjoyed a successful season racing the Multihull as she attempts to qualify for Rio 2016. The pair placed first at Sail Melbourne, the first World Cup of the season, a feat they were able to repeat on the 2012 Olympic course in Weymouth in June 2015. In a strong sign ahead of the next Olympics, Lisa and Jason won gold on the Rio course in the Olympic Test Event in August. Lisa and Jason took on a fleet of 60 in the 2015 Nacra 17 World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark and they finished second overall.
Lisa is an active member of the sailing community and participates in a range of activities to promote the sport such as Bart’s Bash >> Nomination Citation
2013 - 14 Vanessa Dudley
Over the past twelve months Vanessa achieved an extraordinary double, she completed her 18th Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, finishing 2nd on Ragamuffin 100 and was crowned 2013 World Champion in the grand-master Laser Radial division at the Laser Master World Championship
2012 - 13 Carrie Smith & Ella Clarke
The young duo displayed maturity beyond their years in winning gold in the 420 girls class at the 2013 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships in Cyprus in July. Smith and Clarke also triumphed at the Australian Youth Championship and Australian National Championship in the same class.
2011 - 12 Olivia Price, Nina Curtis and Lucinda Whitty
Superb silver medal at the London 2012 Olympic games in the Women's Match Racing competition on the final day of the regatta.
2010 - 11 Lyndall Patterson
Lyndall winning the 2010 Laser Radial Grand Master World Championships at Hayling Island in England.
2009 - 10 Nicole Souter & Rayshele Martin & Nina Curtis & Lucinda Whitty & Kat Stroinovsky & Amanda Scrivenor
Nicole and crew had a stunning victory at the 2009 ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship in Lysekil Sweden.
2008- 09 Elise Rechichi & Tessa Parkinson
In 2008 Elise and Tessa had one goal – to win Gold at the Olympics. The Beijing Olympic Games was the pair’s first Olympic campaign and their single-minded determination, skill and attention to detail culminated with an outstanding victory in China.
2007 - 08 Elise Rechichi & Tessa Parkinson
Elise and Tessa have made major contributions to the AST's medal haul, winning Gold at the Olympic Sailing Test Event and Bronze at the 2008 World Championship in the women's two-person dinghy, 470.
2006 - 07 Sarah Blanck
Sarah switched to the Laser Radial class in 2005 after being our highest place Olympian in Athens with a 4th in the Europe class, a class in which she was World Champion in 2002. In 2006 she won a Bronze medal at the ISAF World Sailing Games, won the Laser Radial class at the Sydney International Regatta and won the 05/06 Australian Laser Radial Championships. She is currently ranked 4th in the world in the Laser Radial class and is co-captain of the Australian Sailing Team.
2005 - 06 Allison Shreeve
In 2006, Allison scored the Women's Australian Formula Windsurfing Championship, winning every race, won the Formula Windsurfing Worlds, the Formula Oceanic Championship and the South America Windsurfing Championship.
2004 - 05 Adrienne Cahalan
Adrienne was the navigator and weather router on board the 125ft catamaran, Cheyenne, that broke the Around the World Non Stop record. The team’s time of 58 days 9 hours 32 minutes 45 seconds smashed the previous record by more than five days. Adrienne is the first and only woman to be part of a round the world record holding team.
2003 - 04 Krystal Weir
Highlights include winning the Australian Laser Radial Championship in Geelong, and taking second at the 2003 ISAF Youth Worlds and the Laser Radial World Women’s World Championship. Krystal Weir citation.
2002 - 03 Adrienne Cahalan
Key member of teams that set four open World Sailing speed records in the space of five months. Adrienne Cahalan citation.
2001 - 02 Jenny Armstrong OAM & Belinda Stowell OAM
Second place in the 2001 470 World Championship and other outstanding performances during 2001.
2000 - 01 Jenny Armstrong OAM & Belinda Stowell OAM
Olympic Gold Medallists in the International 470 at the 2000 Games. Australia’s first women’s Olympic medal
1999 - 00 Jessica Crisp
Consistent outstanding performances in the Olympic Mistral One-Design Sailboard
1998-99 Melanie Dennison
Silver medal at the Olympic Europe World Championship
1996-98 Sarah Blanck
World Champion in the International Laser Radial class