Bah Humbug

By Mr. X

It's awards time again brought to you by Rolex.

While I'm not entirely against the various sailing awards that come out this time of year, I can't help but feel that they miss the point. There are so many equally fantastic sailors on the nomination listthat it should probably stop there, but not until it includes all the crews. Unfortunately the award isn't about recognizing achievement; it's about selling watches.

In the recent ISAF World Sailor of the Year Awards, Siren Sunby of Norway took home the women's trophy. Sunby won the Europe dinghy World Championships in Cadiz this year and is the world's #1 ranked Europe dinghy sailor. British 49er sailors Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks had an equally successful year. They won the 49er Worlds and are also the #1 ranked team in their class. Draper and Hiscocks didn't win the ISAF award and it is my opinion that they couldn't care less. They are World Champions. How could winning some award by a vote of a committee add to that achievement? Clearly it doesn't.

Russell Coutts was the men's winner for his performance at the Americas Cup. What an embarrassment that he alone was nominated. At least he had the class, when ISAF didn't, to extend the award to all of the Alinghi team members.

It may be obvious that world-class sailors are more interested in achieving their goals on the water than winning some Rolex award. So what's the point? Whether it's the ISAF award or US Sailing's Rolex Yachtie of the year award, these things should be recognized for what they are: an advertisement for Rolex. There should be a disclaimer at the bottom of the trophy that reads: This trophy is presented as an advertisement for the Rolex company.

This leads us to how the committee members truly decide who should win the award. In every case you will see that the sailor with the biggest name recognition wins the trophy. Is Russell Coutts a better sailor than Simon Hiscocks? Who was the bigger factor in winning the America's Cup for the Swiss, Russell Coutts or Ernesto Bertarelli? The answers depend on whom you ask and there are equally good arguments on both sides. Whose name is most recognizable in sailing? Right or wrong there's only one answer to that question and that's why there is one winner, well one male and one female that is. If we had a Rolex Honor Roll, sailing fans may pay too much attention to the sailors. Our subconscious minds may be diverted from making an association between Russell Coutts and a Rolex watch.

Enough with that, here is my Honor Roll:

Male:

Darren Bundock and John Forbes (AUS) 2003 Tornado World Champions

Team Alinghi (SUI) 2003 Americas Cup Champions

Augie Diaz and Jon Rogers (USA) 2003 Snipe World Champion

Chris Draper and Simon Hiscocks (GBR) 2003 49er World Champions

Gustavo Lima (POR) 2003 Laser World Champion

Przemyslaw Miarczynski (POL) 2003 Mistral World Champion

Xavier Rohart and Pascal Rambeau (FRA) 2003 ISAF World Champions Star class

Gabrio Zandona and Andrea Trani (ITA) 470 World Champions

Gal Fridman (ISR) 2002 Mistral World Champion (in December too late for last year)

Female:

Betsy Alison, Suzy Leech and Lee Icyda (USA) 2003 Yngling Open World Champions

Lee Korsiz (ISR) 2003 Mistral World Champion

Malin Millbourn, Linda Yström, Åsa Aronsson and Kim Kulstad (SWE) 2003 Match Racing World Champions

Siren Sundby (NOR) Europe Dinghy World Champion

Hannah Swett, Joan Touchette and Melissa Purdy (USA) Yngling Womens World Champions