Sunday evening was aglow with celebration as we marked the close of the 2022-23 Sailing Season with our much-anticipated Presentation Night.
In the elegant setting of the Ballroom, more than 200 sailors, their partners, and our dedicated volunteers came together for this special event. Following formalities and heartfelt acknowledgments to our tireless volunteers, we launched into the exciting presentation of trophies.
The highlight of the night was the prestigious Sailor of the Year award. Among a cluster of exceptional nominees, it was our dedicated Sailing Vice Captain, Wendy Jorgensen, who triumphed. As a member of the ‘Naughty Black Shorts’ team alongside April and Jayson, Wendy plays a vital role in ensuring the boat is consistently at the start line. Her award is testament not only to her unwavering commitment to women’s keelboat sailing but also to the broader sailing community as the organizer of SoPYC women’s team and her role as Sailing Vice Captain.
The evening’s top honors, the Patrons, Frank Sampson, and Commodore’s trophies were bestowed upon ‘Double B’ (Ken Baxter), ‘Tapestry’ (David Atkinson), and ‘Chelsea’ (Peter Clarke), respectively. As for the Club Championships, Club Consistency, and series winners, these honors were evenly distributed across various fleets. However, special recognition must be extended to those standouts who virtually required a wheelbarrow to carry their accolades – namely ‘Ballina’ (Patron P/C Colin and son David Cowden), ‘Hellas’ (Nick Melidonis), ‘Random Times’ (David Hanham), and ‘Swiftsure Saga’ (Bill Richards).
Other remarkable sailors who received individual recognition include Matt Rose, who was named Offshore Sailor of the Year, and our Division Crew awardees Peter Batt, Brett Clair, Phil Scott, Adrian Veerapathiran, Tina Eardley, and Johann Lasmana.
Heartfelt congratulations to all of our awardees for their significant achievements over a remarkable and successful year. Here’s to another exciting sailing season ahead!
Guy Skinner
