YJA Yachtsman of the Year

[Cornishman]

Ben Ainslie is the 2002 Yachtsman of the Year for the third time.
Young Sailor of the Year is Hannah Mills (14) of Glamorgan who is the first girl to win the Optimist Nationals. She told PM Blair to back London's bid for the 2012 Olympics so that she can win her first Gold in home waters!

 

[Jeremy_W]

What does Iain Percy have to do to win this award? Gold medal in the Finn with a race to spare at Sydney; Star World Champ at the first attempt seven months after first sailing the class... and why isn't the young lady planning on her first Gold in the Europe in 2008?

 

[Cornishman]

I am not sure if his nomination being coupled with his new Star team mate Steve Mitchell held him back in the voting. Perhaps he needs a better PR agent?

Perhaps Hannah Mills feels that she won't be ready by 2008, or that she might only win silver or bronze then?

 

[tadpole]

Am I alone in thinking offshore powerboat world champion Steve Curtis should have got it? Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all fond of noisy stinkpots. But he's by far the most successful powerboat racer we've ever produced and has won the championship several times.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Err, it is actually called "Yachtsman of the Year". I know the RYA would like us to believe that powerboat racing is yachting under their broad church, but I've got me doubts!

 

[jamesjermain]

Motor too

The YJA Yachtsman of the Year award is open to motor boaters as well as sailors. There have been previous winners from the throttle jockeys, but not many

JJ

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Motor too

Seems a bit like the RAC making Michael Schumacher "Motorist of the Year"!

 

[Cornishman]

Steve was shortlisted, but a quick scan through the YJA list of members suggests that sailing types outnumber the motor boat types by a large majority, and it is YJA members who have the vote seeing as they started the YoY awards in 1955.
Motor boaters have won in previous years, e.g. 1990 David Cowper, 1967 Charles Gardner.

 

[jamesjermain]

!!! nm

.

JJ