Tonight the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which is busily preparing for its biggest event, the 62nd Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race which starts one week from today, took time out to acknowledge those who have achieved excellence in the 2005-06 offshore season.

At the awards night, Ray Roberts who began sailing in the early 1980s with Impetuous, was named CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year, the most prestigious of the four categories awarded annually.

Sydney based Roberts, who has charted a canting keel Cookson 50 for the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2006, has enjoyed a stellar 12 months during the Ocean Racer of the Year qualifying period with his DK46, also called Quantum Racing.

Beginning with a sixth on IRC at last year’s Hahn Premium Hamilton Island Race Week, he followed this up with a win at the Kings Cup in Thailand, first in division in the 2005 Rolex Trophy Rating Series and fifth in division and ninth overall in the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

In January Quantum Racing went on to claim second in the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania’s Sailing South Week followed by a win in the Scotchman’s Hill Series at Skandia Geelong Week.

He returned to Asia to contest the Langkawi Regatta, which he won, and finished the qualifying period off with a second overall on IRC handicap and first in division in this year’s Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.

Based on results so far for the 2006-07 qualifying period, Roberts could potentially follow in the footsteps of the CYCA’s Ocean Racer of the Year for the past two seasons, Matt Allen, with a back-to-back win. So far this year he and his crew have taken out the IRC overall trophy in the Sydney Mooloolaba Race and scored IRC wins at Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island.

On Sunday Roberts finished first in division in the Rolex Trophy Rating Series and is looking in top form heading into the 2006 Rolex Sydney Hobart with his chartered Cookson 50.

At the awards ceremony, CYCA Rear Commodore Garry Linacre made special mention of two other skippers nominated for Ocean Racer of the Year. During the qualifying period, Steven David and his Reichel/Pugh 60 Wild Joe collected numerous line honours and IRC handicap wins.

Special mention also went to Neville Crichton, skipper of Alfa Romeo, who compiled an impressive list of line honours wins and placings and handicap results both in Australian and overseas, the standout for the purpose of this category being second overall on IRC in the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

This year’s CYCA Ocean Racing Veteran of the Year, 79 year old Lou Abrahams, is a two time Rolex Sydney Hobart overall winner. Lou has contested the last 43 consecutive Rolex Sydney Hobarts and this year will equal the record set by his late sailing mate John Bennetto.

Abrahams travelled from Victoria to attend tonight’s award ceremony which is also the Rolex Sydney Hobart skipper’s cocktail party for those skippers lining up for next Tuesday’s start.

This year’s Ocean Racing Rookie of the Year is Graeme Wood who launched his Sydney 47 Wot’s Next just prior to the 2005 Savills Short Ocean Racing Championship and went on to win his division in the boat’s first regatta. A few weeks later Wood finished first in division and 10th overall in the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart, his debut race.

Graeme Wood has taken to the sport with vigour, winning the Premier Cruising Division at this year’s Hamilton Island Race Week and for 2006 Rolex Sydney Hobart starting Tuesday 26 December he’s entered two boats, Wot Yot and Wot’s Next!

The CYCA’s Ocean Racing Crew person award goes to a non-professional crewperson who has provided enormous assistance to an owner.

This year’s Ocean Racing Crew Person of the Year, Tony Ellis, collected this same award back in 2002. He has remained on the crew of Ragamuffin to total close to 35 years of service sailing with one of Australia’s ocean racing greats – Syd Fischer.

Tony Ellis will also reach the 40 Rolex Sydney Hobart milestone when he steps aboard Ragamuffin next Tuesday for the start of the Boxing Day classic.

The mechanism of evaluation for the Ocean Racer of the Year category is such that each candidate’s ocean racing results both locally and internationally are considered by the judging panel with solid performances in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the CYCA’s own Bluewater and Tasman Pointscore Championships weighted.

The judging panel also takes into account performances at Hamilton Island Race Week, Airlie Beach Regatta, Sailing South Race Week and Skandia Geelong Week. – Lisa Ratcliff