ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards

Ellen and Scheidt scoop the top prizes in Lisbon, but why Paul Brotherton?

It was no great surprise to find out that Ellen MacArthur has won the female category of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award in Lisbon. Could there have been anyone more deserving? Perhaps the greater surprise was that madforsailing's own Paul Brotherton went up to receive the award on her behalf.

With Ellen negotiating the Doldrums in the Transat Jacques Vabre, the honour went to Brotherton to go up and receive the award from ISAF President of Honour, His Majesty King Constantine, for the young woman that he coached a couple of years ago in a Laser 4000.

Brazilian Robert Scheidt (pictured right) on the male category for having now won five Laser World Championships. Never has anyone dominated an Olympic class quite to the extent that Scheidt has managed over the past six years. Only Ben Ainslie has come close to breaking his dominance, most memorably in their battle for gold on Sydney Harbour last year.

The Awards Presentation, which was hosted by the 1996 Olympic Gold Medallist in the Finn Class and ISAF World Sailor of the Year 1999, Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL), was attended by more than four hundred guests, including the President of the Portuguese Republic ­ Dr Jorge Sampaio, and President of the International Olympic Committee ­ Dr Jacques Rogge, alongside representatives and well-known sailing figures from more than 60 countries.

Speaking on the announcement of the winners, ISAF President Paul Henderson commented: "Ellen and Robert demonstrate how diverse our sport is, with each representing opposite ends of the sailing spectrum.  They have achieved at the highest level and are both great sailors."

Ellen and Robert were each presented with a Rolex Yachtmaster chronometer and an ISAF Rolex World Sailor Trophy; which is a sphere of soladite depicting the world, crowned by five silver spinnakers representing the continents.

See page 2 for details of Ellen's and Robert's achievements, plus a list of all the nominees.