Inspiring company at Yachtsman of the Year Awards
It might only be the beginning of January, but 2015 is already shaping up to be a pretty amazing year.
January 16, 2015
The boats.com YJA Yachtsman of the Year Awards, held at Trinity House in London, served to both look back at the achievements of 2014, but also ahead to 2015, and in itself it was a tremendous occasion.
The author interviews Sir Ben Ainslie on Iain Percy's contribution to the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation and Bart's Bash.
I was fortunate enough to be sitting in awe-inspiring company. On my table was not only the winner of the top award, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, (see Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is boats.com YJA Yachtsman of the Year), but shorthanded sailing star Miranda Merron, Admiral’s Cup legend Robin Aisher and none other than Sir Ben Ainslie, with his wife Georgie, looking tanned and fresh as they had just returned from their honeymoon.
It wasn’t just my table – the whole hall was packed with the top names in yachting journalism as well as a host of big name sailors, coaches, and industry names. Legends like Jim Saltonstall, Keith Musto and Richard Matthews were sitting alongside the likes of Mike Golding, Mike McIntyre and a host of other previous award winners.
Drinks before lunch at Trinity House with a who's who of yachting.
Simply making the shortlist is an achievement in itself (see Who will be Yachtsman of the Year? Shortlist announced), and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was delightfully amazed to win the main award, the boats.com YJA Yachtsman of the Year, for the fourth time. He shouldn’t have been, his achievement in finishing third in the Route du Rhum was a great one at any age, but at 75 showed just how much sailing is a lifetime sport. At the other end of the spectrum, the Young Sailor of the Year winner was 15-year-old windsurfer Emma Wilson.
But it was the Special Award that caught my imagination most. That was what had brought Ben Ainslie—who has won both the Young Sailor and Yachtsman of the Year himself over the years—to the party. The Special Award went to Iain Percy, who couldn’t attend and so Ben picked it up on his behalf. The award was perhaps, in reality, for someone else – Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson—or for the creation of Bart’s Bash. The international event officially set a new Guinness World Record as the world’s largest-ever sailing event, and raised an incredible £300,000 for the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation. Andrew’s loss was both tragic for his family and the sport, but there is no doubt that a tremendous legacy has been created in his name. The 2015 event will take place on September 20, 2015.
Windsurfing world champion in the under 19 age group, Emma Wilson, aged just 15, was unable to attend the ceremony due to required attendance at a mock exam. Photo Paul Wyeth/RYA.
Throughout the event there was one common theme; a love of sailing and boating. I’m a professional editor and journalist lucky enough to cover a sport I love. One of the most special things about that sport is the effect it has on everyone, not just those of us lucky enough to write about it. My partner isn’t a sailor, and he was rather perplexed to hear that Sir Ben Ainslie had just spent his honeymoon sailing. I had to explain that it’s the same for Ben. It is this that makes our sportsmen so different from many others.
Both Ben and Robin choose to spend their leisure time sailing – it has never just been a profession for them, it’s a passion. The same applies to most of the journalists who choose to make the sport their speciality.
After a few hours catching up with such a mix of people, you can’t help but feel full of energy and enthusiasm for the year ahead. The beauty of an event like Bart’s Bash is it helps to share this with people who have not yet got a taste for the sport. And the Awards themselves – they play their part in generating coverage of some fabulous achievements, serving to help, in their small way, to inspire others.
Watch the video about the event.
You can also check out photos of the event on the boats.com Facebook page.
