Three dedicated individuals from around Australia have been announced as finalists for Australian Sailing’s Sports Professional Award, with the winner to be announced on November 3 in Sydney.

Mark Dingley has been Sailing Manager at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS) for almost three years and in that time has built a strong team of administrators, instructors and coaches who have fully committed to increasing participation and success in all sailing activities and events.

Dingley and his team introduced Brisbane Race Week in March 2023 to encourage a mixed fleet of classes and experience levels to enjoy the fun of being out on the water.

In addition, Dingley was instrumental in the successful running and organisation of events, such as the Brisbane to Keppel Bay Yacht Race in June 2023 and the Brisbane to Hamilton Island Yacht Race in August 2022.

Ever vigilant, Dingley also led a rescue at the Etchell National Championships in January which ultimately could have been fatal yet resulted in a happy ending.

Mark Dingley

Having initially moved to Darwin from Geelong in 2018 to be a seasonal instructor, Alanna Field has progressed through a variety of roles at Darwin Sailing Club.

Since taking on her current role of Training Academy Manager in 2021, Alanna has worked hard to develop strong relationships with community groups such as schools, youth diversion, defence and disability groups, resulting in a participation increase across group programs of 561% over the last two and a half seasons. Due to Alanna’s efforts, the DSC Training Academy now operates seven days a week across three locations.

In addition, Alanna is also the only Senior Dinghy Instructor in the Northern Territory and is accredited as a Regional Judge, making her the only female in the Northern Territory to hold a regional qualification. 

Alanna Field

Since starting with the Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club (BSYC) seven years ago, Brett Yardley has had a significant and lasting impact on the sailing school, the club and its members, with the sizable growth of the sailing school in part due to Brett’s instructing and coaching abilities.

Yardley’s Tackers graduates can now be seen sailing in a variety of boats and classes including ILCA’s and 470’s, and he has also encouraged and supported three of his Tackers parents to become members of the BSYC management committee. Additionally, Brett has successfully managed five private schools for after school teams race training.

Brett holds many instructor qualifications including Senior Instructor in Dinghy, Powerboat and Windsurfing, and conducts Dinghy and Windsurfer instructor courses on behalf of Australian Sailing. Furthermore, Yardley continues to mentor, encourage, and train young instructors in New South Wales.

Brett Yardley

The winner of the Sport Professional Award will be announced at the 2023 Australian Sailing Awards in Sydney on November 3. For more information on the National Awards as well as ticket availability, click here.