Bill Hardesty US Sailing Yachtsman of the Year (Photo by Tim Wilkes / Rolex)
Etchells World Champion Bill Hardesty (San Diego, Calif.) and ISAF (International Sailing Federation) Sailing World Champion Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) today were named US Sailing’s 2011 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. A shortlist of eight male and seven female sailors – determined from nominations submitted by members of US Sailing – was evaluated by a panel of sailing journalists who selected these two sailors for the noteworthy distinction. The winners will be honored on February 22, 2012, during a luncheon at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, when they will be presented with specially-engraved Rolex timepieces.
Established in 1961 by US Sailing and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the annual presentation of US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards are considered the sport’s ultimate recognition of an individual’s outstanding on-the-water achievements for the calendar year. Over its history the coveted award has been presented to 40 men and 32 women.
2011 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year: Bill Hardesty (San Diego, Calif.) has been named the 2011 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. First shortlisted for the award in 2008 – when he won the Etchells World Championship – Hardesty reclaimed that class’ top title in 2011 after a dominating performance in an 81-strong fleet. He had several other class wins, including the Etchells Midwinters West Championship, and transitioned from skipper to tactician and translated his skills into wins in a number of additional classes which led the selection panel to commend the diversity of his achievements during the year. Hardesty’s notable performances as tactician included winning the 47th Congressional Cup in Catalina 37s and the CMRC Grade 2 Invitational in Tom 28s, along with top finishes at the Rolex Big Boat Series in Express 37s (second) and the Farr 40 World Championships (fourth).
From a personal standpoint, however, Hardesty is most proud of winning the ISAF (International Sailing Federation) Match Racing World Championship as tactician for skipper Ian Williams (GBR). The world championship series title was earned through wins of the Portimão Portugal Match Cup in Portugal, the Stena Match Cup in Sweden, and the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia.
“This is a huge honor,” said Hardesty after receiving word that he had been named the 2011 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. “The long list of past winners is very impressive and includes people who I have always considered to be the best in the world. I would first like to thank Rolex for making sailing what it is today. Without their sponsorship of sailing, the sport would be a lot different.”
“A lot of credit goes to the teams I raced with this past year,” Hardesty continued. “Sailing is truly a group effort and winning this award would never have been possible without great teammates: the Etchells World Championship team of Steve Hunt, Mandi Markee and Craig Leweck, and Team GAC Pindar skippered by Ian Williams.
Hardesty graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1998, the same year he received College Sailor of the Year honors from the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association. A native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Hardesty grew up sailing in San Diego and learned to sail with his father on Hobie beach cats prior to joining the junior sailing program at Mission Bay Yacht Club and subsequently San Diego Yacht Club.
After college graduation and a brief Laser campaign for the Olympics, Hardesty worked for a power plant in Los Angeles and then a solar tube company in San Diego. Now a professional sailor, he spends more than half the year living aboard a Wauquiez Hood 38 on which he is currently cruising Central America.
Anna Tunnicliffe Yachtswoman of the Year (Photo by Daniel Forster)
2011 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year: ISAF (International Sailing Federation) Sailing World Champion Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) has been named the 2011 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. Shortlisted for the honor for the seventh consecutive year, she is the first woman in the award’s history to earn it in four consecutive years. A member of the selection panel noted her level of dedication to the sport, while another remarked that she is a tremendous ambassador for sailing. She joins the rare company of four-time winners JJ Fetter Isler (1986, ‘91, ’97, ’00) and Ted Turner (1970, ’73, ’77, ’79). Only five-time award winner Betsy Alison (1981, ’82, ’84, ’93 and ‘98) has eclipsed them.
“I’m honored to win the 2011 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award,” said Tunnicliffe. “It is a great acknowledgment of Team Maclaren’s success in 2011. Molly [Vandemoer], Debbie [Capozzi] and I worked incredibly hard to achieve our 2011 goals and we are now focused on our 2012 goal – to win a gold medal in Weymouth.”
Tunnicliffe, the 2008 Laser Radial Olympic Gold Medalist, committed to a match racing campaign in the Elliott 6m two years ago with a goal of again representing the U.S.A. at the Olympic Games. During 2011 she skippered Team Maclaren to podium finishes in three ISAF Sailing World Cup events: US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR in Florida (silver); Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia MAPFRE in Spain (bronze); and Skandia Sail For Gold in Weymouth, England, venue of the 2012 Olympic Regatta (gold). The year culminated with a win of the ISAF Sailing World Championship that also qualified the U.S.A. a berth in the Elliott 6m event at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Also notable were Tunnicliffe’s win of the Santa Maria Cup and her second-place finish at the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship, both of which were sailed in J/22s.
The 29-year-old Tunnicliffe, a native of England, grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio, sailing from the North Cape Yacht Club in Michigan. She attended Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.), where she earned ICSA All-American honors three times (2003, ’04, ’05), and was named the 2005 Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year. A member of US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, Tunnicliffe currently holds the number one ranking for women on the ISAF World Match Race Rankings.
For additional racing results for each winner, please visit: http://about.ussailing.org/Awards/Rolex.htm.
Gary Jobson, Stan Honey, Anna Tunnicliffe and Peter Nicholson (Photo by Dan Nerney)
Humble beginnings have evolved into fruitful sailing careers for Stan Honey (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.), US SAILING’s Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year, who were feted today during a luncheon held at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan. The award recipients, formally announced in January after being chosen for their outstanding on-water sailing accomplishments in 2010, were joined by family, friends, sailing dignitaries and members of the press in the Club’s renowned Model Room and treated to a multi-media retrospective on their respective paths to sailing celebrity.
Past award winners JJ Fetter (1986, ‘ 91, ’97, ’00) and Bora Gulari (2009) introduced Tunnicliffe and Honey, while Gary Jobson, president of US SAILING and long-time emcee for the event, warmed up the crowd by showing highlight videos of the two, which led, in turn, to emotional acceptance speeches. Tunnicliffe and Honey received specially engraved stainless steel and platinum Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Masters, symbolic of their achievements in excellence, from Rolex Watch U.S.A.’s Vice President, Director of Communications Peter Nicholson. Also in the audience were Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year Liz Baylis (2002), Sally Lindsay Honey (1973, ’74) and Dawn Riley (1999).
“There were so many great nominees on the list this year, that to be picked is a great honor,” said Tunnicliffe, who is the first woman in the award’s history to earn it three years in a row*. “We had some great regattas this year, and we tried to come out of each one having learned at least one thing, so we could keep the fun factor involved and continue to pursue the dream of bringing home Olympic Gold in 2012.”
During 2010, Tunnicliffe, who won the 2008 Laser Olympic Gold Medal and is a member of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, won both the 2010 Snipe Women’s Worlds and Laser Radial Women’s North Americans and raced in the Elliott 6 Metre (with crew Molly Vandemoer of Redwood City, Calif. and Debbie Capozzi of Bayport, N.Y.) to win US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR; place second at French Sailing Week in Hyères, France; and take third at Skandia Sail For Gold in Weymouth, England, site of the 2012 Olympic Regatta. She won the XII International Women’s Match Race Criterium in Calpe, Spain, sailed in Tom 28s, and was second at the Toyota International Match Race in Detroit, Michigan, in Ultimate 20s. She picked up a bronze medal in the match racing event at Kiel Week in Germany and also placed third in the BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, Md., sailing in J/22s.
“I only sailed a few regattas without Molly and Debbie, so I’d like to say that they are not only amazing sailors but also great people, and I’m honored to have them as my friends,” said Tunnicliffe.
The 28-year-old Tunnicliffe, a native of England, grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio, sailing from the North Cape Yacht Club in Michigan. Her college sailing career at Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.), where she earned ICSA All-American honors three times (2003, ’04, ’05), was highlighted with being named the 2005 Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year. She is married to Brad Funk, who also is campaigning for the 2012 Olympic Games in the Laser class.
The 55-year-old Honey was cited for his victory in the Jules Verne Trophy as navigator on an otherwise all-French crew aboard Groupama 3. The trimaran set a race record of 48 days, seven hours and 45 minutes and accounted for history’s fastest non-stop circumnavigation under sail, eclipsing the former record by more than 56 hours. Honey is the second American in the history of the award to receive the honor for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe. (Cam Lewis was the first, in 1993, after winning the Jules Verne prize aboard Commodore Explorer, also with a record time.)
“It’s a humbling experience to be included on this Rolex Yachtsman of the Year list of legends,” said Honey, who in 2005/06 also was the winning navigator aboard ABN Amro One in the Volvo Ocean Race, “and a tribute to all transoceanic sailors and navigators in our sport. I also think it is a unique characteristic of sailing that we can pursue it throughout our lives and be honored, at age 55, with an award like this.”
After graduating from Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) with a degree in Engineering and Applied Science and from Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.) with a Masters in Science Electrical Engineering, Honey, in 1998, co-founded Sportvision Inc. which evolved into the leading developer of live-tracking enhancements for sports TV broadcasts. Honey led the development of the yellow first-down line for televised football; the NASCAR racecar tracking and highlighting system; and the baseball K-Zone system, which highlights the pitch location and strike zone in televised baseball. He holds eight patents in navigational system design, 21 patents for TV special effects, is a member of the board of directors of KVH (a manufacturer of satellite communications and navigation sensors), and currently works for the America’s Cup Event Authority on TV technology for the America’s Cup. Honey is married to Sally Lindsay Honey, a two-time Yachtswoman of the Year (1972, ’73).
Established in 1961 by US SAILING and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the annual presentation of US SAILING’s Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards are considered the sport’s ultimate recognition of an individual’s outstanding on-the-water achievements for the calendar year. Over its history the coveted award has been presented to 39 men and 32 women.
Anna Tunnicliffe Rolex Yachtswoman Of The Year (Photo by Walter Cooper / US Sailing)
Trophée Jules Verne winner Stan Honey (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Snipe Women’s World Champion Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) today were named US SAILING’s 2010 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. A shortlist of 10 male and six female sailors – determined from nominations submitted by members of US SAILING – was evaluated by a panel of sailing journalists who selected these two sailors for the noteworthy distinction. The winners will be honored on February 25, 2011, during a luncheon at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan, when they will be presented with specially-engraved Rolex timepieces.
Established in 1961 by US SAILING and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the annual presentation of US SAILING’s Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards are considered the sport’s ultimate recognition of an individual’s outstanding on-the-water achievements for the calendar year. Over its history the coveted award has been presented to 39 men and 32 women.
Stan Honey US Sailing 2010 Yachtsman Of The Year (Photo by Claude Breton )
2010 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year: Stan Honey (Palo Alto, Calif.), previously nominated for the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award in 2006 as the Volvo Ocean Race winning navigator aboard ABN Amro One, was cited as “one of the most outstanding offshore sailors known world-wide” by a member of the award’s selection panel that recognized him as the 2010 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. Honey becomes the second American in the history of the award to receive the honor for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe. Cam Lewis won the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award in 1993 for winning the Jules Verne prize aboard Commodore Explorer with a record time of 79 days, six hours, 15 minutes and 56 seconds – a record which had been surpassed five subsequent times before the trimaran Groupama 3, with Honey as navigator, set the latest benchmark. In 48 days, seven hours and 45 minutes, Groupama 3 made the fastest non-stop circumnavigation under sail in history and claimed the Trophée Jules Verne while eclipsing a record – by more than two days and eight hours – that had stood for five years. Another member of the selection panel noted that Groupama 3 would not have broken the record without Honey correctly calling the weather window when they had to re-start after the first attempt was thwarted (a break down in the South Atlantic forced them to retire to fix the boat). “He did an extraordinary job getting the boat around the planet. This was the crowning achievement for a hell of a career,” said the panel member.
After sailing around the world, some might have expected Honey to spend some time on dry land, but in mid-June he was taking aim at another record, this time in the Newport Bermuda Race as navigator aboard Speedboat. “I’ve been navigator on Speedboat since she was built, so I carried on,” said Honey. “You get hooked on spending time at sea.” After leading the 183-boat fleet for most of the 635 nautical-mile race, Speedboat was the first boat to cross the line after racing for 59 hours.
“I am honored to receive the US SAILING Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award,” said Honey upon hearing the news. “It is humbling to read through the list of previous winners. As an American, it was an unexpected opportunity and honor to be asked to sail with the legendary all-French Groupama offshore multihull crew. Groupama 3’s success in the Jules Verne is a tribute to Franck Cammas’ leadership and the seamanship of the entire crew. I would also like to thank Rolex and US SAILING for all they do to support sailing.”
Stan Honey on Groupama 3 (Photo courtesy of Groupama)
After graduating from Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) with a degree in Engineering and Applied Science, and from Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.) with a Masters in Science Electrical Engineering, Honey, in 1998, co-founded Sportvision Inc. which evolved into the leading developer of live-tracking enhancements for sports TV broadcasts. Honey led the development of the yellow first-down line for televised football; the NASCAR racecar tracking and highlighting system; and the baseball K-Zone system, which highlights the pitch location and strike zone in televised baseball. He holds eight patents in navigational system design, 21 patents for TV special effects, is a member of the board of directors of KVH (a manufacturer of satellite communications and navigation sensors), and currently works for the America’s Cup Event Authority on TV technology for the America’s Cup. Honey is married to Sally Lindsay Honey, herself a two-time Yachtswoman of the Year (1972, ’73).
2010 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year: Having been shortlisted for the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award for the sixth consecutive year, Snipe Women’s World Champion Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) has become the first woman in the award’s history to earn it three consecutive years. The achievement is the latest milestone for this sailing phenom as she joins Jane Pegel (1964, ’71, ’72) and Jan O’Malley (1969, ’70, ’77) in the record book as three-time winners of the Yachtswoman of the Year distinction. Only two women have won the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year title more: JJ Fetter Isler (1986, ‘ 91, ’97, ’00) and Betsy Alison, whose five honors (1981, ’82, ’84, ’93 and ‘98) have eclipsed even Ted Turner’s four title wins, the most for any American man.
Tunnicliffe’s position at the forefront of women’s sailing, both nationally and internationally, appears deceivingly effortless. The selection panel lauded the number of classes in which she competes and is competitive in. “She hardly trains in the Laser Radial anymore, yet wins when she sails that boat,” remarked one panelist about the 2008 Laser Olympic Gold Medalist who won the 2010 Laser Radial Women’s North American Championship. Another panelist commented that “she is our modern-day Betsy Alison – doing it all.”
In 2009, Tunnicliffe, previously ranked number one in the world in the Laser Radial, committed to a match racing campaign in the Elliott 6 Metre with a goal of racing in the 2012 Olympic Games. In just two years she has moved from 36th to fourth in the match race rankings – a clear demonstration that her goal is within reach.
During 2010 Tunnicliffe raced in the Elliott 6 Metre to win US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR; place second at Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères, France; and take third at Skandia Sail For Gold in Weymouth, England, site of the 2012 Olympic Regatta. She won the XII International Women’s Match Race Criterium in Calpe, Spain, sailed in Tom 28s, and was second at the Toyota International Match Race in Detroit, Michigan in Ultimate 20s. She picked up a bronze medal in the match racing event at Kieler Woche in Germany and also placed third in the BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, Md., sailing in J/22s.
The 28-year-old Tunnicliffe, a native of England, grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio, sailing from the North Cape Yacht Club in Michigan. Her college sailing career at Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.), where she earned ICSA All-American honors three times (2003, ’04, ’05), was highlighted with being named the 2005 Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year.
“I’m very excited and honored to again be selected for the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award,” said Tunnicliffe. “I knew it would be tough to get it this year, so it was a great surprise when I heard the news. I have to thank my teammates for this year. It was a group effort at the Snipe Worlds and all of the match racing events. Molly [Vandemoer] and Debbie [Capozzi] are fantastic crew and played a huge part in this award!”
Anna Tunnicliffe (Photo by Walter Cooper / US Sailing)
Bora Gulari In Action (Photo by Sean Trew)
CST Composites International Moth World Champion Bora Gulari and Semaine Olympique Française Laser Radial Champion Anna Tunnicliffe today were named US SAILING’s 2009 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. A shortlist of 10 male and five female sailors – determined from nominations submitted by members of US SAILING – was evaluated by a panel of sailing journalists who selected these two sailors for the noteworthy distinction.
Bora Gulari on his way to winning the 2009 Moth World Championships in Cascade Locks, Oregon (Photo by Amory Ross)
“I just do this because I love it, and I think this year was the start of great things to come for dinghy sailing in the U.S.,” said Gulari. “With the addition of the foils, the Moths became easier to sail and a lot more rewarding . . . generating a level of excitement for sailing in some of the top sailors in the country that I have not seen before. I don’t think it will take people away from traditional dinghy classes, but the Moth is so fun that it’s attracting people that have never had any interest in dinghies, and its bringing people back to dinghies who thought they were done getting wet.”
Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year
Anna Tunnicliffe (Photo by Walter Cooper)
– Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) has been named US SAILING’s 2009 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. She was nominated to the award’s shortlist for the fifth consecutive year, and, having won the award in 2008 as well, becomes the first woman in 27 years to win the award in back-to-back years, a feat previously accomplished by only four women in the award’s 48 year history: Jan O’Malley in 1969/70, Jane Pegel in 1971/72, Sally Lindsay Honey in 1973/74, and Betsy Alison in 1981/82.
Tunnicliffe’s success on the 2009 match racing circuit was also notable. She won the Detroit Cup in Ultimate 20s and was second at U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship in St. Thomas sailed in IC 24s. Her medal haul also included bronze collected at the ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final in Brazil sailed in J/24s, and at Skandia Sail for Gold in England, sailing the Elliott 6 Metre, the equipment chosen for the debut of the new women’s match racing event at the 2012 Olympic Regatta.
In October, Tunnicliffe was fleet racing J/24s in Rochester, New York, where she won the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship. (It was during the 1997 running of this event that she first gained national prominence – at age 14 she was the youngest skipper in the fleet.) Less than a month later, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) named Tunnicliffe its female 2009 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year for accomplishments during the qualifying period of September, 2008, through August, 2009.
The 27-year-old Tunnicliffe, a native of England, grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio, sailing from the North Cape Yacht Club in Michigan. Her college sailing career at Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.), where she earned ICSA All-American honors three times (2003, ’04, ’05), was highlighted with being named the 2005 Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year. Ranked number one in the world in the Laser Radial class since April of 2008, Tunnicliffe’s recent commitment to a match racing campaign in the Elliott 6 Metre focused on the 2012 Olympic Games shows the versatile sailor has no plans to slow down.
“I’m so happy I can do this [sail] for a living,” added Tunnicliffe. “I have more goals to reach in my sailing career, and starting this year [2010] with this award is amazing.”
Anna Tunnicliffe OCR 09 (Photo by Walter Cooper)
Nominees For US Sailing Sailor of the Year Award
The nominees will be reviewed by a panel of noted sailing journalists who discuss the merits of each nominee and vote to determine US SAILING’s 2009 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. The ultimate winners will be announced in mid-January and honored on February 26, 2010, during a luncheon at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan, when they will be presented with Rolex timepieces.
Established in 1961 by US SAILING and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the annual presentation of US SAILING’s Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards are considered the sport’s ultimate recognition of an individual’s outstanding on-the-water achievements for the calendar year. Over its history the coveted award has been presented to 37 men and 33 women, including these notable sailors who have claimed the honor multiple times: Ed Adams, Betsy Alison, Sally Barkow, Dennis Conner, JJ Isler, Allison Jolly, John Kostecki, Buddy Melges, Ken Read, Lynne Shore, Jody Swanson and Ted Turner.
Nominees shortlisted for US SAILING’s 2009 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award: Lightning World Champion Matt Fisher (Columbus, Ohio); CST Composites International Moth World Champion Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.); Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis Melges 24 World Champion Chris Larson (Annapolis, Md.); Sunfish World Champion David Loring (Charleston, S.C.); SAP 505 World Champion Mike Martin (Newport Beach, Calif.); Finn Gold Cup Silver Medalist Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.); Rolex Farr 40 World Champion Jim Richardson (Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I.); 2.4 mR World Champion John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wisc.); DN Iceboat World Champion Matt Struble (San Diego, Calif./Bay City, Mich.); and Star World Champion George Szabo (San Diego, Calif.).
Nominees shortlisted for US SAILING’s 2009 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award: ICSA/Laser Performance Women’s Singlehanded National Champion Anne Haeger (Lake Forest, Ill.); Kieler Woche Laser Radial Champion Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.); U.S. Women’s Match Racing Champion Genny Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.); Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Champion Molly O’Bryan Vandemoer (San Diego, Calif.); and Semaine Olympique Française Laser Radial Champion Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.).
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2008 Terry Hutchinson/Anna Tunnicliffe
2007 Jeff Linton/Sally Barkow
2006 Jud Smith/Paige Railey
2005 Nick Scandone/Sally Barkow
2004 Paul Foerster & Kevin Burnham/Jody Swanson
2003 Augie Diaz/Hannah Swett
2002 John Kostecki/Liz Baylis
2001 Steve Fossett/Cory Sertl
2000 Mark Reynolds & Magnus Liljedahl/JJ Isler & Pease Glaser
1999 Eric Doyle/Dawn Riley
1998 Paul Cayard /Betsy (Gelenitis) Alison
1997 Chris Larson/JJ Isler
1996 Dave Ullman/Courtenay (Becker) Dey
1995 Ed Baird/Cory Sertl
1994 Ken Read/Danielle Brennan
1993 Cam Lewis/Betsy (Gelenitis) Alison
1992 Kevin Mahaney/Julia Trotman
1991 Ed Adams/JJ Isler
1990 Jim Brady/Courtenay Becker
1989 Larry Klein/Jody Swanson
1988 John Kostecki/Allison Jolly & Lynne Jewell
1987 Ed Adams/Susan Dierdorff Taylor
1986 Dennis Conner/JJ Isler
1985 Ken Read/Kathy Steele & Heidi Backus
1984 Bill Buchan/Betsy Gelenitis
1983 Dave Curtis/Wendy Thomson
1982 Randy Smyth/Betsy Gelenitis
1981 Dave Curtis/Betsy Gelenitis
1980 Dennis Conner/Lynne Jewell
1979 Ted Turner/Nell Taylor
1978 Buddy Melges/Bonnie Shore
1977 Ted Turner/Jan O’Malley
1976 Lowell North/Allison Jolly
1975 Dennis Conner/Joan Ellis
1974 Ted Hood/Sally Lindsay
1973 Ted Turner/Sally Lindsay
1972 Buddy Melges/Jane Pegel
1971 Ding Schoonmaker/Jane Pegel
1970 Ted Turner/Jan O’Malley
1969 Robert F. Johnson/Jan O’Malley
1968 Lowell North/June Methot
1967 Bus Mosbacher/Betty Foulk
1966 Bill Cox/Jerie Clark
1965 Dick Tillman/Timothea (Schneider) Larr
1964 Bob Bavier/Jane Pegel
1963 Joe Duplin/Leggie Mertz
1962 Bus Mosbacher/Sue Sinclair
1961 Buddy Melges/Timothea Schneider
ISAF and Rolex are proud to announce that the male and female winners of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2009 are:
Anna Tunnicliffe Female Winner And Torben Grael Male Winner Of The ISAF Rolex World Sailor Of The Year Awards 2009 (Photo by Rolex/Daniel Forster)
Torben Grael (BRA) and Anna Tunnicliffe (USA)
Torben Grael received his award tonight, and in his winning speech said, “It’s an honour to be here. It’s not the first time I’ve attended this award ceremony, but it’s truly a different feeling to stand here,” he said, from behind the podium. “I am very thankful, and to be here I represent not only myself but all the people who helped me run my campaigns: the sailors, my family, my parents, my wife, the company Ericsson. it’s been a fantastic year and it was a fantastic [Volvo Ocean] Race. This year has made me aware of some feelings I am not used to,” said an emotional Grael as he accepted his ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award.
“I’d like to thank Rolex for their continued support- it’s great what they do for our sport,” said Anna Tunnicliffe, upon being named the female ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year. “I’ve had great fun competing in a variety of classes, I love doing it, and I’d like to thank my sponsors, my teams, my parents for being my managers, and my husband for always allowing me to sail.”
The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award is the highest award a sailor can receive in recognition of his/her outstanding achievements. The Awards are presented annually based on a worldwide selection process that incorporates an open invitation to nominations, followed by a vote amongst the 130 member nations of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).
The Awards have been held every year since 1994 and past winners include Peter Blake (NZL), Ellen MacArthur (GBR), Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Russell Coutts (SUI). In 2008 the Awards were presented to four-time Olympic medal winners Ben Ainslie (GBR) and Alessandra Sensini (ITA).
Anna Tunnicliffe, Liz Bower, Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi (Photo by Rolex / Dan Nerney)
Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) and her team of Molly O’Bryan Vandemoer (Redwood City, Calif.), Liz Bower (Rochester, N.Y.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) have won US SAILING’s 2009 Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship. Racing took place at the Rochester Yacht Club October 7-10, 2009. At the gala Rolex Awards ceremony held this evening at the RYC, Tunnicliffe and her team were awarded US SAILING’s perpetual Bengt Julin Trophy and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Stainless Steel & Gold Datejust presented by Jaimie Carlsen of Rolex Watch U.S.A.
“We’re very excited,” said Tunnicliffe, Olympic Gold Medalist and a member of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, moments after returning the dock. “We wanted to win this event for a while and finally we’ve done it. We’re super psyched!” Both Vandemoer and Capozzi also are members of US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics.
After yesterday’s disappointing day off from racing, due to lack of suitable wind conditions, the fleet was anxious to get out onto the Lake Ontario race course. With only one day of racing and three races completed, Tunnicliffe lead the 35-boat fleet with a narrow two-point margin over Jennifer Provan (Toronto, Ontario, CAN). The final standings would come down to today, the final day schedule for racing. The RYC Race Committee, lead by Principal Race Officer Hank Stuart, took advantage of today’s spectacular conditions – 15-18 knots of wind – and held three races.
“We were really happy about our first day,” continued Tunnicliffe, 2008 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. “None of us have fleet raced for at least two months, and we are all a bit rusty in our fleet race tactics. Once we got a chance to get our heads around the tactics, we got locked in and dialed in, and we did really, really well.”
Her team’s five-race score line was 3-6-1-1-1 and with an unbeatable margin they decided not to participate in the final race. “It’s one of those big decisions, do you race or do you not? We felt we wanted to stay out of everyone’s way. We knew it was close for second (place), so thought we would stay out of the way and not influence anything.”
The final race, with 10-12 knots of wind, was won by Nicole Breault (Old Lyme, Conn.) with Amanda Taselaar (Scarsdale, N.Y.) in second and Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.) in third.
Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championships (Photo by Rolex / Dan Nerney)
“It was so nice to have good breeze,” said Breault. “The wave action made the shifty-ness really about boat speed, and we finally started to click as a team. It felt really good and the day was great. We wish there were a couple more days of racing, but that’s the way it goes.”
Second overall was Cory Sertl, who counts this regatta as her 11th (including two wins in 1985 and 2001). She clearly relished having the regatta on her home waters at her home club. “It was really fun sailing and great to be out there,” said Sertl, a two-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. Her ‘Team Lucy’ included Annemarie Cook, Jane Mastrandrea and Amy Moran. Sertl’s and Moran’s daughters, Katja and Merritt, sailed together. They finished 13th overall. “They did just fine,” continued a beaming Sertl. “They were really fast today off the starting line and held it for a really long time. Their speed was awesome today.”
For Cronin, who won the regatta in 1991 as crew, her overall third place finish is satisfying. According to Cronin, who marks this regatta as her ninth, her results were starting to look like a terrible trend. “I won this event in 1999,” she said. “I was second in 2001, third in ‘03, fourth in ’05, and that was my goal, to break the curse.
“We had a great day today,” continued Cronin of her ‘Team Spidey,’ Kim Couranz, Margaret Podich and Kate Fears. “We worked really well together, and I thought it was a challenging day of sailing because the waves were ahead of the breeze.” Three teams finished the regatta tied on points – Cronin, Dominique Provoyeur (Cape Town, South Africa) and Jennifer Provan. A count back system, detailed in the sailing instructions, was used to break the tie, putting Provoyeur into fourth and Provan in fifth.
“We can’t really be too disappointed,” said Provoyeur, who has competed in this regatta four times. “The fourth is our best result yet, but obviously when you are so close you think what could have gone better. I woke up this morning a little anxious for the final day of racing and knowing there was a bit on. There was breeze and we were in a position close to first. We tried to take the attitude that we want to go sailboat racing, but the wind was up and the swell was bigger than what we had had. We tried to start well and see what would happen, really one race at a time.” Provoyeur sailed with Louise Meek, Tiffany Baring-Gould and Saskia Butcher.
Rounding out the top 10 teams: Jennifer Provan (CAN) in fifth, Marieke Poulie (Maarssen, NED) in sixth, Amanda Taselaar (Scarsdale, N.Y.) in seventh, Breault in eighth, JoAnn Fisher (Annapolis, Md.) in ninth and Kaitlin Storck (Huntington, N.Y.).
Until this regatta, Tunnicliffe had held the record as the youngest competitor, having set the mark as a 14-year-old skipper in 1997. At that time, she confided that one day she would win the regatta. “I always thought it would be cool to do really well one day,” she said. “This is my fifth time sailing the regatta, my fourth time skippering it. We were getting to the point that we need to get up there sometime soon. I’m happy we sailed really well together and did so well. I have a
fabulous crew. Debbie, Molly and Liz sailed together a few times before, and the chemistry has worked perfectly. It makes my life so easy on the race course and they make me look really good.”
