Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Shortlist Announced
US Sailing has announced the shortlist for the 2021 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards. Five men and four women are being considered for this prestigious award. A US Sailing press release describes the nine nominees as “representing a wide range of accomplished sailors from various disciplines and at different stages of their respective careers.
“Some of these sailors were selected based on their consistent exceptional performances throughout the 2021 season and some were chosen for their signature win(s) at major international or national events. These sailors have each mastered their craft and have focused on the importance of precision and performance in their competitive sailing efforts.”
The shortlisted sailors are Conner Blouin, Dave Hughes, Erik Shampain, Harry Melges IV, Taylor Canfield, Anna Weis, Daniela Moroz, Laura Grondin, and Nicole Breault.
“These nominees and their 2021 sailing résumés will be reviewed by a panel of noted sailing journalists and past winners of these awards who discuss the merits of each sailor’s racing results before voting to determine US Sailing’s 2021 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. The winners will be announced and presented with specially engraved Rolex timepieces in conjunction with the US Sailing Association Awards this Spring on a date and at a location to be announced soon.”
Previous winners include Ed Adams, Betsy Alison, Sally Barkow, Dave Curtis, Dennis Conner, JJ Fetter, Terry Hutchinson, Allison Jolly, John Kostecki, Buddy Melges, Lowell North, Jan O’Malley, Jane Pegel, Ken Read, Cory Sertl, Lynne Shore, Jody Starck, Anna Tunnicliffe, Daniela Moroz, and Ted Turner, some having won the award multiple times.
You can read more about each shortlisted sailor and about the award here.