Finallists announced

Shortlist for the YJA Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year and YJA Pantaenius Young Sailor of the Year

The finallists of the 2011 YJA Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year and YJA Pantaenius Young Sailor of the Year awards have been announced.

The vote for the overall winner now goes to the members of the Yachting Journalists’ Association in a secret ballot. The winner of each award will be revealed at two separate ceremonies during the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show in January 2012.

YJA Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year finalists include:

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 6th place. On completion of this race Dee entered the record books as the only woman to have circumnavigated the globe, non stop, three times.

Nick Craig. Nick 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, Craig went on to secure an overall win of the extremely challenging Endeavour Championship for the 5th 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.

Finalists for the YJA Pantaenius Young Sailor of the Year include

Elliot Hanson. Elliot has produced outstanding performances this summer. The 17 year old sailor from Macclesfield sealed the U21 World Laser Radial bronze medal and U21 European Laser Radial title at the 2011 World and European Laser Radial Mens and Standard Junior Championships. Two weeks later he went on to secure a World and European silver medal at the 2011 World and European Laser Radial Youth Championships.

Ben Jelf. At the age of just 11, Ben has not only retained his two British titles from 2010 but has also received international recognition of the highest level claiming both a UIM World and European Powerboat Championship title in just his third year of racing. At Coniston Powerboats Records Week, Ben also became Britain’s youngest World Powerboat Speed Record holder. At the same time he managed to raise over £2,000 for Everyman Cancer.

Annabel Vose and Megan Brickwood. Annabel and Megan kick started 2011 by winning the Ladies 420 World title in Buenos Aires, in the 420 World Championships at just 16 years old and despite having a broken mast. The girls achieved RYA Team GBR’s best result at the championship for five years. They also won silver at the 2011 Flanders Regatta (Niewpoort, Belgium) and were 1st female crew and won the bronze medal in the female fleet at the 2011 Open 420 Junior European Championships (Nieuwpoort, Belgium).

Winners of both awards will be voted for by members of the Yachting Journalists’ Association. The YJA Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year will be announced at an awards ceremony at midday on Tuesday 10th January 2012 at Trinity House, Tower Hill, London.

The YJA Pantaenius Young Sailor of the Year Award will be announced at 14:10 hrs on Saturday 7th January 2012 at the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show at ExCel, at the Knowledge Box. RYA Regional Winners will also be presented with their awards at the ceremony.

RYA Regional Winners are:

East Midlands: Emily Hall

Northern Ireland: Laura Gilmore

North East: Helen Armstrong

Scotland: Jamie Calder

Southern: Annabel Vose and Megan Brickwood*

South East: Luke Hagon

South West: Emma Phillips

Thames Valley: Isobel Mitchell

Wales: Matthew Whitfield

West Midlands: Matt Venables

Yorkshire and Humberside: Matthew & Ben Lulham-Robinson

North West: Elliot Hanson*

Eastern: Georgina Povall

*Also finalists for the YJA Pantaenius Young Sailor of the Year Award.