ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Nominees heading for Perth 2011
Several of this year’s nominees for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2011, sailing’s highest award, are likely to be stars of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships in December.
Australia’s Nathan Outteridge, who will compete at Perth 2011 in the 49er with Iain Jensen, has been nominated for outstanding achievements in numerous classes from dinghies to keelboats, including the title of 2011 International Moth World Champion. Outteridge posted top 12 finishes at no fewer than five different Class World Championships.
In the 49er Outteridge and Jensen were second at the Delta Lloyd Regatta and first at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta before back -to-back victories at the Open Europeans and the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, which was held at the London 2012 Olympic Sailing course.
Other outstanding nominees expected to compete at Perth 2011 in December are:
Ben Ainslie of Great Britain, Match Racing World Champion and ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion. Ainslie is a three-time Olympic gold medallist and aims to make it four gold medals in London 2012 when he competes in the Finn class.
Anna Tunnicliffe of the USA, ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion in Women’s Match Racing. Tunnicliffe and her teammates Molly Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi are expected to be serious contenders in the Women’s Match Racing event in December after a consistent year that included gold at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth, silver at the US Sailing Rolex Miami OCR and bronze in Palma and Hyeres.
Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez of Spain have won three world championship titles in the 49er and are the current 49er World Champions. They have two Olympic medals.
The Spaniards have been racing together since 1999 and while they have made their name in the 49er fleet, they have also risen to prominence in offshore sailing.
In August this year they took a break from training for the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race and returned to the 49er at the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta. In an exciting final Martinez and Fernandez finished on equal points with fellow nominee Nathan Outteridge, who ultimately claimed gold due to a better Medal Race finish.
The competition between Martinez and Fernandez and Outteridge and Jensen in the 49er at Perth 2011 is likely to be a highlight of Perth 2011.
The male and the female winners will be announced on 8 November in Puerto Rico.