Two Australians are among the finalists named today for the World Sailing Awards, with public voting set to play a role in deciding the winner.

Tom Slingsby (Male Sailor of the Year) and Australia SailGP (Team of the Year) are being recognised for winning their third consecutive SailGP championship earlier this year.

Voting for all three awards has already opened and anyone who wants to get behind our nominees is encouraged to have their say cast their vote before  to help decide the winners before voting closes at midnight UTC on Monday, 30 October. 

Cast your vote now here

Tom Slingsby secured victory for Team Australia in SailGP Season 3 in May, marking their third consecutive season win and has achieved four podium finishes in Season 4 to date. The Australian also skippered American Magic to victory in the inaugural event of the 2024 America’s Cup held in Vilanova in September.  

Skippered by Tom Slingsby, Australia SailGP won their third series title with victory in Season 3 of SailGP when they won the Grand Final in San Francisco. Slingsby’s team won four of the 11 regattas throughout the season to finish top of the overall series leaderboard before going on to win the three-boat Grand Final.   

Slingsby with Australia SailGP after winning the Season 3 Grand Final CREDIT SailGP

You can see a full list of nominees for Rolex World Sailor of the Year, 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award and Team of the Year here. The nominees for each award represent the very highest achievement in the sport over the past year. From Allianz Sailing World Championships gold-medallists and World Sailing Special Event winners to world record holders, as well as those making huge strides to modernise the sport at every level. 

This year’s awards will be presented during the live World Sailing Awards on Tuesday 14 November in Malaga, Spain. 

David Graham, World Sailing CEO, said, “This year’s nominees are drawn from far and wide across the entire sport of sailing. With so many diverse disciplines, inspirational figures and great achievements to honour, selecting the nominees was an incredibly difficult task for the judging panel as every one of them has a strong case.  

“As the short lists for the Rolex World Sailor of the Year and Team of the Year demonstrate, our sport can take great pride in the role models we produce from boards to offshore racing, there are heroes everywhere you look in sailing.   

“We can also take pride in the huge progress in sustainability throughout the sport, from the use of recyclable materials, to extending the lifespan of existing equipment and making a change in the way events are organised. This year’s finalists reflect the impact sailing can have on communities across the globe and we are very proud of everything all of the entrants have achieved.” 

About the Rolex World Sailor of the Year 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 the title sponsor of the awards since 2001, celebrating more than 20 years of excellence in sailing. 

For more information and to see the Roll of Honour, please visit the World Sailing website.