The presentation of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2003, the pinnacle award of recognition in the sport of sailing, will take place on Wednesday 12 November 2003 in Barcelona, Spain.

2003 marks the tenth presentation of the Awards, which were first presented in 1994 in London, Great Britain. Over the past ten years, many of the world’s best sailors have been nominated for the annual Award in recognition of their outstanding achievement. But only ten male and ten female sailors and crews have been accorded the honour World Sailor of the Year, and seen their name engraved on the prestigious Trophy.

The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards are presented annually to recognise the outstanding sailing achievements of male and female sailors, as nominated and voted by the world of sailing. To determine the winners, ISAF invites the world of sailing to submit nominations. A Shortlist Panel, chaired by HM King Constantine - with representatives including past winners, media, ISAF representatives from the key geographic regions and Rolex - determine the shortlist of male and female sailors who in their opinion are considered as the outstanding sailors of the year. It is based on this shortlist that the ISAF Member National Authorities are invited to cast their votes to determine the ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year 2003.

ISAF invites nominations for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2003 from all – whether a sailor, class, national authority, media, sailing club, event organiser or other. Nominations should be made on the official Nomination Form available online at: www.sailing.org/worldsailor/2003nominationform.doc

The criteria to be nominated is simply “outstanding achievement during the period 1 September 2002 through to 31 August 2003�. The roll call of past winners is evident of the level at which the previously nominated sailors have each achieved in the sport.

Sailors nominated may represent any discipline of the sport, from dinghies to offshore, windsurfers to multihulls, and their achievements may be as diverse as a record breaking passage, a series of regatta wins over the year or triumph against the odds. Such successes and more have been witnessed during the past year, and it is now up to the sailing world to nominate the sailors they feel are meritorious of the accolade ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2003.

Nominations close at 1000 hours UCT on Monday 1 September 2003.

The winners of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award 2003 will be announced at the prestigious Awards Ceremony on 12 November 2003 in Barcelona, Spain. The sailors accorded the honour ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year 2003 will be presented with a stunning marble and silver trophy - a solid marble sphere depicting the world and crowned by five silver spinnakers representing the continents - and a Rolex timepiece.

The nominees and winners over past years reflect many of the highest achievers in the sport, with the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year winners' roll call reading:

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) Lee-Lai Shan (HKG)
1995 Russell Coutts (NZL) Isabelle Autissier (FRA)
1994  Peter Blake (NZL)/ Robin Knox Johnston (GBR) Theresa Zabell (ESP)

For further information:

ISAF - ISAF Secretariat, Ariadne House, Town Quay, Southampton, SO14 2AQ, Great Britain. Tel: +44 2380 635111 Fax: +44 2380 635789

Email: mailtworldsailorawards@isaf.co.uk Web: www.sailing.org/worldsailor

On Behalf of Rolex - Key Partners, KPMS, 70, Route des Falaises, CH-2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland. Tel: +33 662647475 Email:media-info@regattanews.com

Web: http://www.regattanews.com/