Public vote opens for World Sailing of the Year

The public vote for the 2016 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards, the most prestigious award of recognition in sailing, has opened for a period of 72 hours.

Those wishing to cast their vote for who they believe is the worthiest recipient of the coveted male and female Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award can do so now, by following this URL – http://www.sailing.org/2016-world-sailor-of-the-year-voting.php

Public voting will close on Monday 7 November at 12:00 UTC with World Sailing's Member National Authority vote to close at 17:00 UTC. The Awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday 8 November at the Casa Llotja de Mar in Barcelona, Spain and attendees on the night will have the final opportunity to vote.

From there, the votes will be tallied up and HM King Constantine, World Sailing President of Honour, will announce the winners who will be presented with a unique marble and silver trophy depicting the globe, crowned with five silver spinnakers representing the continents, together with a Rolex timepiece.

The names vying for the coveted and prestigious 2016 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards are:

Male

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL)

Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO)

Santiago Lange (ARG)

Giles Scott (GBR)

Damien Seguin (FRA)

Female

Marit Bouwmeester (NED)

Cecilia Carranza Saroli (ARG)

Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA)

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR)

Charline Picon (FRA)

Click here to find out more about the nominated sailors and their achievements. 

The Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards is the most prestigious award of recognition in the dynamic sport of sailing. Since the awards inception in 1994, the trophy has proudly accumulated the names of those who have demonstrated unparalleled endurance, performance and accomplishment in sailing.

Beginning with Sir Peter Blake and Sir Robin Knox Johnston, the inaugural winners, the trophy reads like the definitive who's who in sailing. There can only be one male and one female winner so who will join the list of sailing royalty in 2016?

– Daniel Smith