Yachtsman of the Year 2011 won by Nick Craig
Dinghy ace Nick Craig beats Ben Ainslie and Dee Caffari in a well-deserved recognition of his impressive achievements
January 12, 2012
From a shortlist that included multiple Olympian Ben Ainslie and round the world yachtswoman Dee Caffari, it was an amateur dinghy sailor who won the coveted title of YJA Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year for 2011.
Nick Craig with the Yachtsman of the Year trophy - photo Onedition.
Nick Craig, from Woking, Surrey, was awarded the trophy at an ceremony held at Trinity House in London - which saw many former winners in attendance representing the great and the good of UK and world sailing.
Nick began his sailing career at Frensham Pond Sailing Club, near Farnham. The 37-year-old dinghy sailor not only won the highly competitive OK World Championship in 2011 but in doing so also became the only person ever, to hold the World, UK National and Inland championship titles. He also won the RS400 National championship. To conclude an outstanding year, Nick went on to secure an overall win of the extremely challenging Endeavour Championship for the fifth time.
The Endeavour Championship is an annual invitation only event, held at Burnham-on-Crouch, to determine the overall dinghy champion of champions from the UK’s most popular dinghy racing classes.
Winning the Endeavour Trophy is and always has been recognised as an ultimate dinghy racing achievement. So to win five times, representing different classes throughout the years, puts Nick amongst the most versatile and talented dinghy sailors in the world.
Ben Ainslie CBE. Despite having already won three Olympic Gold medals and a Silver, Ben is far from sitting back and basking in the glory of his past successes. In this pre Olympic year he has worked hard to achieve yet more spectacular results including winning the 2011 Weymouth Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta and the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta (Olympic test event). His outstanding performance has once again earned him a place within Team GB to compete at the 2012 London Olympics.
Dee Caffari MBE. In the 2010/11 two handed Barcelona World Race 38-year-old Dee and her co skipper, Spaniard Anna Corbella finished in sixth place. On completion of this race Dee entered the record books as the only woman to have circumnavigated the globe, non stop, three times.
The trophy was presented by Geoff Holt MBE, the 2010 winner.
