Issue date
Tickets for this year's Barfoot & Thompson Yachting Excellence Awards are now on sale as the countdown continues to one of the biggest nights in New Zealand yachting.
The awards evening is a highlight on the annual sailing calendar and recognises achievements at all levels of the sport during the nomination period (September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024).
This year’s event will be presented at a gala dinner at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on November 22, 2024.
As always, a number of awards will be handed out - including the prestigious Sir Bernard Fergusson Trophy for the Orbit World Travel Sailor of the Year, won last year by sailing world championship bronze medallist George Gautrey.
Previous winners of the award include Sir Peter Blake, Barbara Kendall, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, Sir Russell Coutts, Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, Bruce Farr, and Emirates Team New Zealand.
Tickets include entry to the event, a three-course dinner and drinks (beer, wine and soft drinks), and can be purchased until 5pm on Thursday, October 31 or until sold out.
Awardee tickets cost $75 and single tickets $150.
There are only 100 tickets available and they will be provided on a first-come-first-served basis.
To book your tickets, click here.
"This year's event will be extra special, with the success of our NZL Sailing team sailors at the Olympic Games earlier this year, as well as the America's Cup currently underway," said Yachting New Zealand chief executive David Abercrombie.
"It's been an exceptional year for many of our sailors on the world stage but the Excellence Awards are about more than just high-performance sailing. It is also an opportunity to honour the often-unsung heroes of our community, those people making a difference every day at their clubs and class associations, through our service awards. We are looking forward to celebrating our many successes both on and off the water."
The following award categories are recognised in 2024:
- Orbit World Travel Sailor of the Year Award for the Sir Bernard Fergusson Trophy
- Barfoot & Thompson Male Sailor of the Year Award
- Barfoot & Thompson Female Sailor of the Year Award
- NZL Sailing Foundation Young Male Sailor of the Year Award
- NZL Sailing Foundation Young Female Sailor of the Year Award
- B&G Performance Coach of the Year
- Yachting New Zealand Emerging Coach of the Year
- Millennium Hotels & Resorts NZ Official of the Year
- Aon New Zealand Emerging Talent Award
- Lawson's Dry Hills Outstanding Contribution Award
- MAST Academy Young Leadership Award
- North Sails Sportsmanship Award
- Evocean Sustainability Award
- Yamaha New Zealand Service Awards
- Radix Nutrition Performance Awards
- Andoo Youth Performance Awards
- Kiwi Yachting Cruising Awards
For a full list of winners from the 2023 Aon Excellence Awards, click here.
For a list of all previous award recipients, take a look at our Roll of Honour.
For more information or if you have any queries, please contact Angela Jordan at angela@yachtingnz.org.nz
