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January 6 2005
Team GB Wins Yachtsman of the Year Award  The nine medallists from Britain's 2004 Olympic sailing team were crowned Raymarine YJA Yachtsman of the Year today in a ceremony at the Schroders London Boat Show. The coveted title of Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year goes to 18- year-old Nick Thompson from Lymington - a hot contender for the 2008 Olympic Games in China. Originally presented in 1955 to recognise British sporting excellence in power or sail, the Raymarine YJA Yachtsman of the Year award bears the names of the greatest achievers in British yachting and powerboating. The winners are chosen annually in a vote by the members of the 300-strong Yachting Journalists’ Association. The 2004 British Olympic sailing medallists now join the list of prestigious title-holders.  The team win is for medallists Ben Ainslie OBE (Gold in the Finn Singlehander Class), Shirley Robertson OBE, Sarah Ayton MBE and Sarah Webb MBE (Gold in the Women’s Yngling Keelboat Class), Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield (Silver in the 470 Class), Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks (Bronze in the 49er Class), and Nick Dempsey (Bronze in the Mistral Windsurfing Class). Collectively they won five medals in Athens, and for the second successive time positioned Great Britain as the top sailing nation at the Games. The Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year Award recognises endeavour and achievement by young British sailors under the age of 19, in particular youngsters who have made a significant impact on youth sailing. This year’s winner, Nick Thompson, is the youngest male sailor in the RYA Olympic Development Squad. Proving he can compete with the best Laser sailors in the world, in 2004 he sailed in a succession of grade 1 events throughout Europe in the gold fleet, surpassing all expectations. Some of his many accolades include: Gold medallist at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2004 in Poland in the Laser Class; 6th Laser Nationals (1st youth in the Senior Olympic fleet); 1st RYA National Youth Championship; Sports Scholarship to Exeter University; Michael Austin Harlick Award Winner (Outstanding Sports Person in Hampshire); and nominated for BBC South 2004 Young Sportsman of the Year. Nick was also Young Sailor of the Year in 1999 after winning the Optimist European Championship that year. The YJA also made a special award to Mark Turner, best known as the backroom boy for Ellen McArthur's continuing achievements in ocean racing, in recognition of his services to yachting and the promotion of the sport. All three awards were presented by last year’s Raymarine YJA Yachtsman of the Year, Steve Curtis (the new 2004 Class 1 Offshore Powerboat World Champion - for the sixth time), at the opening of the 2005 Schroders London Boat Show, at the ExCeL exhibition centre in London's Docklands.