2016 Nominee: Charline Picon

The Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards is the most prestigious award of recognition in the sport of sailing, with five nominees in 2016 under consideration in the Male and Female categories. Meet nominee Charline Picon…

Sailors, just like any sports competitors, have faith in their own ability and will aim for a win. Some will even make a prediction of their result. For France’s Charline Picon her prediction came from a French saying, ‘Jamais deux san trois’. ‘Never two without three’. For her, the third would be an Olympic gold medal.

Picon’s saying came off the back of two wins at the Rio 2016 Test Events held in the waters of the Olympic Games, and although it would come true, it wouldn’t come as easy as just saying the words for the French windsurfer.

After Picon uttered those words, the Rolex World Sailor of the Year nomination period begun, and it was not a good start. Returning to France to compete in the Semaine Olympique Francaise, Picon could only manage a finish in the mid-teens.

Two World Championships followed. Picon finished seventh in Oman for the 2015 championships and sixth in Israel for 2016. Her prediction was not looking good.

Picon would have to endure another seventh place at the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia before returning to the podium. Heading back home to compete in the Sailing World Cup Hyeres, Picon finished in third to claim the bronze medal.

That bronze medal seemed to be the spark for what was to come. Picon claimed the European Championship title in Helsinki, Finland to ensure that she would go to Rio de Janeiro as a recent gold medallist. Confidence breeds confidence.

With two wins from two Rio 2016 Test Events, it was crunch time. ‘Jamais deux san trois’.

Twelve gruelling Olympic races could not separate a competitive field. There were six sailors in contention for the podium heading in to the Women’s RS:X Medal Race and Picon was tied for third. Nevermind a third win, there was just as much chance Picon could leave with nothing.

Crossing the finish line in second place meant Picon could do no more than just wait. She waited. Waited some more. Her podium rivals were falling to the back of the fleet. When everyone had crossed and the results were in. Picon was Olympic champion and burst in to tears.

‘Jamais deux san trois’. Maybe Picon should make some more predictions.

The announcement of the 2016 Rolex World Sailors of the Year will be made on Tuesday November 8 in Barcelona, Spain, the host city of the World Sailing’s 2016 Annual Conference. The nominees in 2016 are:

Male
Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL)
Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO)
Santiago Lange (ARG)
Giles Scott (GBR)
Damien Seguin (FRA)

Female
Marit Bouwmeester (NED)
Cecilia Carranza Saroli (ARG)
Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA)
Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR)
Charline Picon (FRA)

Previous recipients of the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award include:
2015 Peter Burling & Blair Tuke (NZL), Sarah Ayton (GBR)
2014 James Spithill (AUS), Martine Grael & Kahena Kunze (BRA)
2013 Mat Belcher (AUS), Jo Aleh & Polly Powrie (NZL)
2012 Ben Ainslie (GBR), Lijia Xu (CHN)
2011 Iker Martinez & Xabier Fernandez (ESP), Anna Tunnicliffe (USA)
2010 Tom Slingsby (AUS), Blanca Manchon (ESP)
2009 Torben Grael (BRA), Anna Tunnicliffe (USA)
2008 Ben Ainslie (GBR), Alessandra Sensini (ITA)
2007 Ed Baird (USA), Claire Leroy (FRA)
2006 Mike Sanderson (NZL), Paige Railey (USA)
2005 Fernando Echavarri & Anton Paz (ESP), Ellen MacArthur (GBR)
2004 Robert Scheidt (BRA), Sofia Bekatorou & Emilia Tsoulfa (GRE)
2003 Russell Coutts (SUI), Siren Sundby (NOR)
2002 Ben Ainslie (GBR), Sofia Bekatorou & Emilia Tsoulfa (GRE)
2001 Robert Scheidt (BRA), Ellen MacArthur (GBR)
2000 Mark Reynolds & Magnus Liljedahl (USA), Shirley Robertson (GBR)
1999 Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL), Margriet Matthijse (NED)
1998 Ben Ainslie (GBR), Carolijn Brouwer (NED)
1997 Pete Goss (GBR), Ruslana Taran & Elena Pakholchik (UKR)
1996 Jochen Schümann (GER), Lai Shan Lee (HKG)
1995 Russell Coutts (NZL), Isabelle Autissier (FRA)
1994 Peter Blake (NZL) & Robin Knox-Johnston (GBR), Theresa Zabell (ESP)

Source: Richard Aspland – World Sailing