Holt named Sportsman of the year

At the South Sports Personality of the Year, disabled sailor Geof Holt and Olympian, Sarah Ayton were honoured

Stars of British sailing have been honoured at sports award ceremonies across the country in recognition for their outstanding achievements during 2007.

Geoff Holt was, on Sunday night, crowned the BBC South Sports Personality of the Year at a glittering awards dinner in Southampton, for his amazing accomplishment of being the first disabled yachtsman to single-handedly circumnavigate England and Wales. He took the title with an overwhelming 57% of the public vote.

Holt was paralysed from the chest down after a swimming accident at the age of 18 – he took 109 days to complete his epic voyage over the summer which, beset with difficulties and terrible weather conditions, he hailed his ‘Personal Everest’.

“Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me” said Geoff. “I can’t begin to tell you what an honour it is to win these awards, particularly to win the overall Sports Personality award and by such a margin.

“What started out as my 'Personal Everest', turned into something quite different. I've got 2,000 emails and letters at home from people who said what I had done has inspired them.

"This really was a team event and I will be forever grateful to each and everyone that helped and supported me. I’m so very proud of what we achieved, 2007 has been a truly wonderful year.”

Holt is a former Trustee of RYA Sailability and his trip was primarily designed to raise money for and awareness of the charity.

BBC South’s Yachtsperson of the Year award went to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who struck a blow for the older generation in 2007. He completed his second solo circumnavigation of the globe in the Velux 5 Oceans Race, while Skandia Team GBR’s Yngling World Champion Sarah Ayton was crowned the South’s Sportswoman of the Year.

Ayton had an impressive 2007 season in which she and crewmates Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson made the podium at every event they took part in – including golds at the World Championships and Olympic Test Event which ultimately secured their nomination to the one British Yngling berth at Beijing next year.

At the BBC Yorkshire Sports Awards, Paul Goodison was crowned winner of the Sport England Senior Male Award in recognition of his third consecutive European title in the Laser class and his victory for the second year in a row at the Olympic Test Event in Qingdao – home of the 2008 Olympic sailing competition.

Meanwhile 49er World and Pre-Olympic Champions Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes have earned the BBC South West Sports Awards’ Watersports prize.