It's always great to see UK sailors getting recognition on the world stage, and so I was delighted to see that Sarah Ayton has won the Female ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year title.

With two Olympic gold medals and an OBE already to her name, before sailing took a bit of a backseat while she had a family, it is good to see Sarah Ayton back in the limelight. She is the tactician on The Wave, Muscat in the Extreme Sailing Series and it was her performance over the season that won her the title, ahead of some of the sport’s most influential female sailors including British Volvo Ocean Race skipper Sam Davies, undefeated kiteboarding champion Elena Kalinina from Russia, Danish World Match Racing Tour champion Lotte Meldgaard and French RS:X Windsurfing champion Charline Picon.

ISAF Rolex Female World Sailor of the Year Sarah Ayton. Photo Mark Turner/Extreme Sailing Series.

ISAF Rolex Female World Sailor of the Year Sarah Ayton. Photo Mark Turner/Extreme Sailing Series.



 

Ayton said: “I’m overwhelmed, it is such a huge honour to even be nominated for an award that so many inspirational women have won or been nominated for in the past. My heart was racing and when my name was called as the winner – I was more nervous than before the final race at the Olympic Games.”

As the only woman currently competing in the Series Ayton plays a key part in Leigh McMillan’s championship-leading crew on The Wave, Muscat. On board Ayton is involved in both sail handling and manoeuvres but also, most crucially, in calling tactics that have helped The Wave, Muscat to five regatta victories this season out of a possible seven.

“On the water my role in the Extreme Sailing Series is just like any other sailor – you get stuck into racing and being a woman doesn’t come into it, I’m the tactician,” explained Ayton. “But it’s off the water is when it really hits home what a unique position I’m in. A lot of female guests come up to me, almost with a tear in their eye, and I guess they are inspired watching me out there on the water. I fell really privileged to be in that position, to be able to inspire anyone in the world of sailing or elsewhere.”

In the men’s category, New Zealand 49er sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke scooped the prize, for their domination of the 49er class.

 

Written by: Gael Pawson
Gael Pawson is the editor of Yachts & Yachting Magazine and the founder of Creating Waves. A keen racer, she has sailed all her life, and started writing about the subject whilst studying journalism at university. Dinghies and small keelboats are her first loves, but she has cruised and raced a huge variety of boats in locations across the world.