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To be named 2012 Singapore Airlines Young Sailor of the Year is a huge achievement – it means joining the likes of Peter Burling, Paul Snow-Hansen and Andrew Murdoch who all have their name engraved on the trophy, which was first presented in 1996.
This year there are six finalists and the winner will be named at the 2012 Yachting Excellence Awards on the evening of Friday 23rd November in front of a packed audience at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
The winner will be presented the trophy for Singapore Airlines Young Sailor of the Year and will also receive a travel prize.
Ellie Copeland and Erica Dawson – The ISAF Youth World Championships is widely regarded as the youth equivalent of the Olympic Games with the very best crew selected from the world’s sailing nations to compete. Ellie and Erica represented New Zealand at the 2012 regatta sailed in Dublin, Ireland in July where they were one of the kiwi team’s top performers finishing fifth in the female 420 fleet.
Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski – Joining forces in the 49er just last year Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski have proven they are young sailors to watch producing results during their 2012 Australian and European campaigns that would go on to see them named part of the NZL Sailing Team in September. Both just 19 at the time they placed sixth overall at the 2012 49er World Championships in Croatia in May where the world’s best were competing including a number of crews counting down to the Olympic Games.
Gemma Jones and Tomer Simhony – The ISAF Youth World Championships is widely regarded as the youth equivalent of the Olympic Games with the very best crew selected from the world’s sailing nations to compete. Gemma and Tomer represented New Zealand at the 2012 regatta sailed in Dublin, Ireland in July where they were one of the kiwi team’s top performers finishing fifth in the SL16 multihull fleet.
Andrew McKenzie – 17 year old Andrew McKenzie is currently New Zealand’s top youth male campaigner in the Laser Radial class. In the past year he took out his division at the 2011 Sir Peter Blake Regatta, and went on to a successful tour of Australia with second place at the Australian Youth Nationals, fourth in the Australian Open Nationals and the won silver at the 2012 Laser Radial Youth World Championships June in Queensland.
Trent Rippey and Alex Munro – Both Trent and Alex have only recently turned 16, but they’ve already made their mark in international youth sailing circles with their performances in the 29er skiff over the past twelve months. Winners of both the 29er National Champs and the 29er event at 2012 Sail Auckland they’ve competed with very creditable results at Queensland Youth Week, the Australian 29er Nationals, the British and the Irish Youth Nationals and also represented New Zealand at the ISAF Youth Worlds and the Open 29er Worlds in Germany.
James Turner – Twenty year old James Turner from the Murrays Bay Sailing Club started sailing the 470 in 2010 this year achieving a career best with second overall in the 2012 470 Junior World Championships staged in Takapuna this January. A change to his regular 470 crew, bringing in Finn Drummond in order to meet age requirements, didn’t faze James who quickly found form and sailed away with an impressive result in the international fleet.
