Sean Langman has been crowned the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 2022 Ocean Racer of the Year.

The CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year Awards and Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore Prizegiving acknowledged the standout performers from the 2022 offshore season.

Langman’s Reichel/Pugh 69, Moneypenny, won the 2022/23 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, after finishing on the overall podium in four of the six races, including victory in the 2022 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.

Moneypenny won Division 0 and finished eighth overall in the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Despite Moneypenny’s consistent success last year, Langman was stunned to receive the CYCA’s most prestigious individual accolade.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be standing here,” he said after collecting the Ocean Racing Yachtsperson of the Year trophy. “These campaigns are spurred on by the excellence of the other boats.

“The TP52s have certainly showed the way over the years. Their ability to keep leapfrogging each other and their dedication to beating each other has resonated well in the mini maxi fleet.

“Whisper has touched us up for a few years and URM Group certianly gave us a few lessons in sailing this past season.”

Rupert Henry was named the Two-Handed Ocean Racer of the Year after a standout season in Australia and abroad.

Henry and Greg O’Shea finished second on his Lombard 34, Mistral, in the CYCA’s Montague Island Race, before Henry went over to Europe and finished sixth alongside Jack Bouttell on his Lombard Class 40, Eora, in the 1,000nm CIC Normandy Channel Race.

Henry and O’Shea won the 2022 Cabbage Tree Island Race, making history as Mistral became the first two-handed boat to win an Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore race.

They backed up that result with victory in the Two-Handed Division of the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

“This is a really prestigious trophy, it means a lot to me,” Henry said.

“In two-handed racing, it’s fundamental to have a good partnership and I wouldn’t even get across the start line properly without Greg.

“It’s really exciting to be part of this two-handed offshore scene we’re building and growing every year at the CYCA. It’s a big part of yachting overseas and it’s great to see it flourishing here in Sydney.

“From what I hear, there are more boats being purchased and launched over the next six months, which I look forward to seeing.”

Andrea Green was crowned Ocean Racing Navigator of the Year for the second time in three years.

Green was navigator on Matt Donald and Chris Townsend’s TP52, Gweilo, during the 2022/23 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore and played a key role in another impressive campaign for the boat.

Gweilo was third overall in the Pointscore, thanks to three podium finishes, including second in the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast, third in the Flinders Islet Race and second in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Green was lauded for his “amazing level of detailed information” and “well-timed, well-considered delivery of information”.

The continued success of Gweilo, winner of the 2020/21 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, was further evidenced as George Richardson was crowned Youth Ocean Racer of the Year.

23-year-old Richardson, a member of the CYCA’s Youth Sailing Academy, was the primary trimmer on Gweilo in 2022.

Richardson was labelled a “tireless worker offshore, who pushed hard right to the finish of the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart”.

Richard Hudson was named Ocean Racing Veteran of the Year.

Hudson has been racing offshore throughout Australia and overseas for more than 40 years, and has campaigned his current boat, the Farr 45 Pretty Woman, for 20 years.

Pretty Woman featured in five of the six races in the 2022/23 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore, notably winning Corinthian PHS and finishing second on Corinthian IRC in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Hudson has been an outstanding supporter of youth sailors in offshore racing over the years. Pretty Woman’s 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart crew consisted of eight crew members under the age of 30, including four female sailors who were all aged under 25.

“I’m really enjoying sailing with the young crew; they sail the boat like they stole it and I love it,” Hudson said.

“Getting young people on is important. As you get older, you need young people to take you sailing anyway!

“We need more balance in the sport and it makes a difference to the culture on board when you’ve got a mixed crew. It’s a fun boat to sail.”

Lee Condell was crowned the Ocean Racing Rookie of the Year after campaigning his own boat for the first time in the Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore.

Condell raced his Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300, Sun Fast Racing, two-handed, alongside Lincoln Dews.

Sun Fast Racing had two top 10 overall finishes during the pointscore and was second in the Two-Handed Division of the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

“It was fantastic just being part of the two-handed scene,” Condell said.

“Because we’ve got so many boats that are relatively close in performance, it makes the racing fantastic.

“I’m really enjoying the two-handed scene, it’s revitalised my interest in yacht racing.”

Neil Newton scooped the Crew Person of the Year Award, winning the Sally Gordon Memorial Trophy.

Neil joined Quest with Bob Steel in 1983 and has been part of the team ever since.

At the age of 70, he was again a key member on Craig Neil’s TP52 during the 2022 season.

“I love the boat, I love the guys. A lot of the crew have moved with the boat and I’m so lucky to sail with guys who know a lot more about sailing than I do.

“I’ll keep doing it until they tell me not to, which might not be too far away,” Newton quipped.

“The young guys bring so much to the boat, a different perspective. You have to keep changing; if you don’t, you stay where you are.”

Congratulations to all nominees in the 2022 CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year Awards: Carlos Aydos, Lee Condell, Shane Connelly, Lincoln Dews, Joe Ferguson, Jenny Geytenbeek, Peter Grayson, Andrea Green, Harry Hall, Rupert Henry, David Henry, David Hobbs, Alison Hobbs, Richard Hudson, Matt Humphries, Rod Jones, Sean Langman, Stacey McMasters, Harry Miller, Neil Newton, George Richardson, Wayne Seaward, Alice Tarnawski and Georgia Tuckey.

CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year Award recipients

• Ocean Racing Yachtsperson of the Year – Sean Langman (Moneypenny)
• Two-Handed Ocean Racer of the Year – Rupert Henry (Eora/Mistral)
• Ocean Racing Navigator of the Year – Andrea Green (Gweilo)
• Youth Ocean Racer of the Year – George Richardson (Gweilo)
• Ocean Racing Veteran of the Year – Richard Hudson (Pretty Woman)
• Ocean Racing Rookie of the Year – Lee Condell (Sun Fast Racing)
• Crew Person of the Year (Sally Gordon Memorial Trophy) – Neil Newton (Quest)