Male Sailor of the Year
2023-24 Matt Wearn OAM
Matt has demonstrated exceptional performance and dedication in the ILCA 7 Men's class, for many years. It goes without saying, that Matt’s most notable achievements in the past 12 months includes winning the 2024 Paris Olympic Gold Medal in the Men’s Dinghy and two ILCA 7 World Championships.
2022-23 Matt Wearn OAM
Tokyo Olympic ILCA 7 champion, Matt Wearn worked his way through the season beautifully, with top ten results at the European Championships (where he won Bronze), Palma and Hyeres before going on to win the Olympic Test Event in Marseille after a stunning victory in the Medal Race.
2021-22 Tom Slingsby OAM
Tom Slingsby has had a phenomenal sailing season, with significant international wins across three types of boats on oceans and waterways the world over.
2020-21 Mathew Belcher & Will Ryan
Belcher and Ryan claimed Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and dominated their class internationally.
2019 - 20 Tom Slingsby OAM
Tom Slingsby had a stand-out year, helming the victorious Australian SailGP team and winning the 2019 Moth World Championships in Perth.
2018 - 19 Mathew Belcher & Will Ryan
Belcher and Ryan remained World Number One throughout the entire nomination period. They dominated their class internationally, as they claimed the 470 World Championships, Ready Steady Tokyo Olympic Test Event and the World Cup Series events in Marseilles and Enoshima.
2017 - 18 Matt Wearn
Matthew Wearn has experienced another highly successful year on the world Laser sailing circuit; including podium finishes at all major regattas and strong performances at future world championship and Olympic venues.
2016 - 17 Glen Ashby
Glenn is an outstanding sailor who likes to fly under the radar, he is always there to lend a hand to our junior sailors at McCrae Yacht Club. Glenn is a great ambassador to our sport and industry and allmembers at McCrae Yacht Club wish him well for his future endeavours.
2015 - 16 Tom Burton
After winning Laser Olympic Gold in Rio in one of the most exciting and nail-biting final races of the Games. He sailed the race of his life, using tactical prowess to move up the standings into first place to claim Australia’s only gold medal of the 2016 Games >> Nomination Citation
2014 - 15 Mathew Belcher & Will Ryan
Mat and Will continue to dominate the world in 470 sailing. They started the season with a win at the World Cup in Abu Dhabi and continued an impressive season finishing no worse than third. The came first at II Copa Brasil de Vela and then first again at the 2015 North American Championships in Miami,
2013 - 14 Mathew Belcher & Will Ryan
Mat and Will have shown great form over the past twelve months dominating the podium in international regattas across the globe, culminating in Gold for Australia in the 470 at the ISAF World Championships 2014. The pair were crowned 2014 European and Australian Champions, won a Gold Medal at the Olympic Test Event and finished the year with two Golds, a Silver and a Bronze at the four ISAF World Cup events for 2014.
2012 - 13 Mathew Belcher & William Ryan
This new combination were rewarded for their domination of the 470 Class winning a total of nine regattas including the ISAF World and European Championships, three ISAF Sailing World Cup regattas and a number of other national and regional championships. Claiming the 470 Class World Championship in France in August was the duo's biggest victory of the year.
2011 - 12 Tom Slingsby, Mathew Belcher & Malcolm Page, and Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen
The award was presented to the three gold medal winning crews from the London 2012 Olympic games.
2010 - 11 Tom Slingsby
Tom winning the 2010 Laser World Championship, being the first Australian to win the prestigious ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award, winning the ISAF Sailing World Cup, and a further two regattas at the London 2012 Olympic Games venue in Weymouth, including the official test event.
2009 - 10 James Spithill
James Spithill burst onto the America's Cup scene in 1999 as a fresh-faced 20-year-old as skipper of the Syd Fisher funded program,Young Australia. In 2010 James skippered the gigantic wing sailed trimaran USA-17 to a historic victory over Alinghi to claim the 33rd Americas Cup and with it become the youngest ever winning skipper.
2008 -09 Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page
Nathan and Malcolm have been the world's top male 470 sailors over the past few years. Their performances have resulted in three world championship wins, numerous Grade 1 event victories and 2008 the pair reached the pinnacle, a Gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
2007 -08 Tom Slingsby
Tom was honoured for a remarkable year of achievements which have seen him rise to Number One in the ISAF Laser Class World Rankings. The 23 year old retained the Laser World Champion title on his home waters of Terrigal in January, having won the 2007 Worlds in Portugal.
2006 -07 Darren Bundock & Glenn Ashby
Australian Sailing Team members, Darren and Glenn have only been competing together since 2005 but in that time they have become a formidable force in the Tornado class. In 2006 they won the Princess Sofia Trophy, Kiel Week, and the Tornado World Championships whilst coming in second place at the Holland Regatta, Tornado European Championships and the Tornado South American Championships. In 2007 they have already won the Rolex Miami OCR and the Princess Sofia Trophy. These wins have all contributed to the pairs’ world number one ranking in the Tornado class.
2005 -06 James Spithill
James Spithill has raced and won against the best sailor in the world in a variety of boats, from smaller one-design match-racing yachts, to offshore racing and America's Cup fleet and match racing.
2004 -05 Richard Perini
Richard has achieved unprecedented success by winning both the 2004 Mumm 30 World Championship and the 2005 Farr 40 World Championship and holding the titles simultaneously. He is the 2005 Australian National Farr 40 champion and has claimed a string of victories and podium finishes in other major events.
2003 - 04 Darren Bundock and John Forbes
The pair won the three biggest events in the Tornado class in 2003 - The World Championship , Pre-Olympics Regatta, the European Championship, and again the European Championship in the Canary Islands in 2004. Darren and John citation.
2002 - 03 Darren Bundock & John Forbes
Again won the 2002 Tornado World Championship, the win was John's record 5th World Championship win in the class and Darren's 3rd win. Darren and John citation.
2001 - 02 Darren Bundock & John Forbes, and Arthur Brett
A dual award was presented to both Arthur Brett, two times International Contender World Champion, and Darren Bundock & John Forbes - World, European and Australian Tornado champions for 2001.
2000 - 01 Tom King OAM & Mark Turnbull OAM
Olympic Gold Medallists in the International 470 at the 2000 Games and Australia’s first 470 World Champions
1999 - 00 Lars Kleppich
World Champion in the Olympic Mistral One-Design Sailboard & Gold Medal at the 1999 Pre Olympic Regatta.
1998 - 99 Colin Beashel OAM & David Giles
Australia’s first World Champions in the Olympic Star Class
1996-98 Chris Nicholson & Daniel Phillips
Inaugural World Champions in the Olympic 49er class