World Sailing prepares for awards, conference

The 2023 World Sailing Awards will be held in Málaga at a gala event on Spain’s Costa del Sol Capital, on November 14 where the sailing world will gather to celebrate the spirit of our sport from the highest level to the grassroots. 

Nominations for the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award are open now. The award celebrates effective execution or ongoing delivery of high-impact, highly-replicable sustainability initiatives, aligned to World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030.

In addition, nominations will open from August for the Rolex World Sailor of the Year, the ultimate recognition of excellence in sailing, as well as Team of the Year and Boat of the Year.

The Rolex World Sailor of the Year is the highest award a sailor can receive in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the world of sailing. Past winners of World Sailor of the Year Awards have been drawn from the many diverse disciplines of the sport and read like a who’s who of sailing, from Olympic greats and America’s Cup skippers to pioneering pairs and dominant duos.

Last year’s awards were won by Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti of Italy after they struck gold at Tokyo 2020 and won both the World and European Championships.

The 2023 World Sailing Awards will also see the return of the President’s Development Award and Beppe Croce Trophy presented, awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the sport.

“Sailing is blessed with incredible stories of triumph, courage, innovation and dedication, and the World Sailing Awards is an annual celebration of everything that makes our sport great,” said David Graham, World Sailing Chief Executive Officer.

Winners of the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award will receive a $10,000 USD prize to further their sustainability program. There are a rapidly growing number of sustainability initiatives across the world of sailing and anyone can enter via the World Sailing website.

Last year’s award was presented to German boatbuilders Greenboats for the design and manufacture of natural fiber products and components which have demonstrated a viable sustainable alternative to conventional composite materials which has the potential to completely change the footprint of sailing.

The city of Málaga will also host the 2023 World Sailing Annual Conference from November 13-18 in partnership with the Málaga Tourism Board. World Sailing is made up of 146 Member National Authorities (MNAs), the national governing bodies for sailing around the world, and 119 World Sailing Class Associations.

Approximately 450-600 international delegates – including sailors, event organizers, MNAs, committee members, Class Associations, boat manufacturers and representatives from World Sailing partners from around the world – will convene to discuss and shape the direction of the sport, help to plan future events and agree new policies, rules and regulations to increase equality, accessibility and participation at every level of sailing from elite competition to grassroots.

Graham added, “The Annual Conference is an opportunity for members from across the world to meet, share in each other’s success and enact positive change for the entire sport. We look forward to working closely with the Málaga Tourism Board in the coming months to deliver an event that will leave a lasting legacy for sailing in the city.”

Full details about the 2023 World Sailing Annual Conference, including timings, submissions, agendas, and supporting papers, are available here: https://www.sailing.org/inside-world-sailing/organisation/governance/conferences/2023-world-sailing-annual-conference/