After serving as the Deputy Principal Race Officer at the Paris Olympics, esteemed official David Brookes was recently celebrated at the Australian Sailing Awards when he was announced as Official of the Year.

Part of the Australian Sailing Rules Specialist Group, Brookes assists in drafting Notices of Races and provides guidance to fellow race officers, and over the past year, he has contributed to several appeals panels, offering his expertise as a race officer in the decision-making process. 

“To win the official of the year is really exciting,” said Brookes.

“I’d really like to take this opportunity to go back and thank the hundreds of officials around Australia who get out there, run races, sit on the jury, umpire, measure boats, and more. It’s such a wonderful way to be part of our sport when you decide not to race on the water,” he said.

With extensive experience in events both in Australia and internationally, David is a respected life member of Yachting Queensland and has been honoured with an Australian Sports Medal.

“I started officiating as a 15-year-old; volunteering was a requirement at our club back then, and now I’m glad it was. I remember climbing a little ladder to sit in a box on the Brisbane River and running my first race from there.

“To be a sailing official is the best thing. I couldn’t reach the Olympics as a sailor; I just wasn’t good enough, but now I’ve been to three Olympics as an official. 

“Marseille was really interesting; I was the Deputy Principal Race Officer, so I didn’t actually run any of the races on the water. Instead, we actually coordinated every single race from the tower and looked after everything from there.

“I’ve travelled the world, met some of the greatest people, and just had so much fun. The enjoyment you get out of being an official is just fantastic.”

Passionate about sailing and his work, Brookes is an advocate for officiating at every age and level.

“There is no age barrier to being an official. When I was in Rio at the Olympics there, one of the other officials there was just 17 years old, and that was her second Olympics. On the flip side, we see people in their seventies and eighties still officiating at that level. 

“No matter what age you are, you’re welcome.”

To find out more about becoming an official, click here.