fbpx

CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year Awards

The Ocean Racer of the Year Awards were established by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in 1985 to recognise the outstanding achievements of yachtsmen and yachtswomen Australia-wide.

Along with the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, the Ocean Racer of the Year Awards are the most prestigious and sought-after awards of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s sailing program.

The CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year Awards are held annually in conjunction with the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Prizegiving.

Winners of the Ocean Racer of the Year Awards are presented in recognition of the calendar sailing season (1 Jan – 31 Dec) in the following categories. Awardees are often nominated by their peers.

The list of awardees is as follows:

  • Ocean Racing Yachtsperson of the Year – is the most prestigious of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s five awards, and is presented to the leader of an Australian Ocean Racing campaign who has excelled above others during the qualification period.
  • Female Ocean Racer of the Year – introduced in 2023 to recognise the success of a female ocean racer in any crew role and their contribution to an offshore racing program.
  • Ocean Navigator of the Year – instituted in 2008 to recognise the integral role that navigators play in the successful campaign of a yacht.
  • Ocean Veteran of the Year – awarded to a stalwart of the sport, who, has either been campaigning for a number of years, or who has returned to offshore racing after a brief hiatus from the sport of sailing.
  • Youth Ocean Racer of the Yearawarded to a sailor, under the age of 25, who while new to the sport, has exhibited great commitment to ocean racing.
  • Ocean Rookie of the Year – awarded to a competitor that, whilst maybe no foreigner to crewing or participating in ocean racing, has for the first time campaigned their own boat within the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s prestigious Blue Water Sailing Program.
  • Ocean Crew Person of the Year (Sally Gordon Memorial Trophy) – an award which recognises a non-professional crew member that contributes significantly to your program, and can be a crew member who greatly assists in the preparation of the boat prior or post racing, or assists in completing paperwork and other association race documentation.
  • Two-Handed Ocean Racing Yachtsperson of the Year – acknowledges a yachtsperson who has been part of a successful two-handed program.

Further information regarding nominations and the applicable nomination periods are sent to respective Australian Ocean Racing clubs, or are available on request from the Sailing Office.

Ocean Racer Of The Year Award Winners Since 1987

CYCA Principal Sponsor

CYCA Official Sponsors

CYCA Youth Sailing Academy Sponsors and Supporters