The
CYCA Ocean Racer of the Year Awards recognises yachting excellence
for the 12 month period from July 2011-July 2012.
Hodgkinson, the owner of
Victoire, a Beneteau 45, only just last December was named
the Ocean Racing Rookie of the Year (2010/2011), and has since gone
from strength to strength.
‘Dr Darryl’ clinched the CYCA’s
2012 Blue Water Pointscore Series from Ragamuffin by five
points, having won the Cabbage Tree Island and Flinders Islet yacht
races and finished first in IRC Division 3 in the 2011 Rolex Sydney
Hobart.
The yachtsman also claimed the
Class B win in the Audi IRC Australian Championship, inclusive of
third place at Audi Victoria Week, second in the Sydney Harbour
Regatta, and won his division in both the Audi Sydney Gold Coast
Yacht Race and at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.
Gail Harland was presented with
the Sally Gordon Memorial Trophy for Ocean Crew Person of the Year
by Anne Gordon, Sally’s sister. Harland has shown true dedication
as a crew member of Tony Kirby’s X-41 Patrice Six since
returning to sailing with the boat three years ago, although she
raced successfully with Kirby previously on other people’s
yachts.
“She is a highly skilled sail
trimmer who will grind the winch harder and longer than most of my
so called strong crewmen,” Tony Kirby revealed in nominating the
Sydney Micro Scientific Officer at the Royal North Shore
Hospital.
“She is always one of the
first on deck and the last to leave during our many (and sometimes
rough nights at sea) – all without complaint,” Kirby
added.
Harland has completed 17
Sydney Hobarts and is second only to former award winner, Adrienne
Cahalan, who has contested 20 Hobarts.
Tasmanian Justin Wells was named
the Ocean Racing Rookie of the Year. Since purchasing the Ker 11.3,
Dump Truck (the former Tow Truck), in 2010, Wells
and co-owner Edward Fader have scored some good offshore race
results.
Under Wells guidance, Dump
Truck finished last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart 35th overall;
and finished second in IRC Division 2, despite being at the mercy
of uncongenial winds. Dump Truck was also the first boat under 40
feet to cross the finish line.
Wells (skippering) and Fader won
the 2011-2012 combined clubs Offshore Championship overall and
placed third in PHS in Tasmania.
In late October she finished
second overall to fellow Taswegian and Hobart competitor,
Martela, in the Isle of Caves Race, won the Bay of Fires
race in mid-October, was second in IRC in the Maria Island Race in
November 2011 and won Group 1 IRC division in the Betsey Island
Race in January from Rolex Sydney Hobart rivals Whistler (David
Rees) and Cougar II.
For the second time, Syd Fischer
has been named the Ocean Veteran of the Year. Fischer needs no
introduction – he has been named the CYCA Blue Water champion a
record nine times, with multiple podium places throughout the
years. He has also been named Ocean Racer of the Year four times
and completed his 49
Fischer finished second to
Victoire in last year’s Blue Water Pointscore Series and
won under ORCi. At 84, he was the oldest competitor in last year’s
Rolex Sydney Hobart, which was his 43
Phil Eadie, navigator on
Victoire, has been named Ocean Racing Navigator of the
Year. Ironically, he was the inaugural recipient of this award when
it was introduced in 2008.
Since its inception in 1985, the Ocean Racer of the Year Award
has gone to many of Australia’s most notable ocean racing
skippers,starting with Tasmanian, Don Calvert, and including
Victorians Gino Knezic and Lou Abrahams; South Australian Kevan
Pearce, New South Welshmen Roger Hickman, Geoff Ross, Matt Allen
(twice), Bob Thomas and Ed Psaltis (twice), Syd Fischer (four
times), Bob Steel and Mike Green and last year, co-winners, Sydney
yachtsman Stephen Ainsworth and South Australian Geoff
Boettcher.
The Crew Person of the Year list
of winners includes some of the best Australian sailors who have
played significant roles in the success of the boats on which they
sailed. Among them are David Blanchfield (NSW), Phil Thompson
(NSW), Julian Freeman (Tas), Tom Braidwood (NSW), Ian ‘Barney’
Walker (Vic), Adrienne Cahalan (NSW), the late Sally Gordon (NSW),
Tony Ellis (NSW), Kingsley Piesse (VIC) and last year Peter
Inchbold (NSW).
The Ocean Veteran of the Year
winners have included: Alby Burgin (NSW), twice, the late Merv Finn
(WA), the late John Bennetto (Tas), Dick Fidock (SA), John Walker
(NSW), three times, Lou Abrahams (Vic), Don Mickleborough (NSW),
Richard Hammond (NSW), Alex Whitworth (NSW), twice, Bruce Gould
(NSW) and Tony Elllis (NSW).
By Jennifer Crooks, CYCA
Media
