World Sailing is delighted to announce that Rolex, the leading name in luxury wristwatches, has extended its sponsorship of the World Sailor of the Year Awards for 2016. Rolex has been the title sponsor of the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards since 2001. The awards are the highest honour of recognition male and female sailors can achieve. In addition to the magnificent Rolex World Sailor of the Year trophy, each winner is presented with an engraved Rolex watch. The 2016 Rolex World Sailing of the Year Awards event will take place during the World Sailing Annual Conference in Barcelona, Spain in November. 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. New Zealand’s talented 49er duo Peter Burling and Blair Tuke won the 2015 male Rolex World Sailor of the Year following an outstanding run of regatta victories in the 49er and the golden girl of British sailing, Sarah Ayton, was awarded the female title.
Rolex will also continue their sponsorship of the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the publication that governs the sport on the water. The 2017-2020 edition was published on sailing.org on 4 July here http://www.sailing.org/40174.php and will shortly be available printed and as an iOS and Android application.
Andy Hunt, Chief Executive Officer of World Sailing said, “Rolex have a long and esteemed history within sailing and their extended support of the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards is further evidence of their outstanding commitment to supporting our sport.
“The Rolex World Sailing of the Year Awards highlights the qualities of our world’s leading athletes from commitment and determination to performance and prestige. These same qualities can be found in long running partnership with Rolex.”
