The Alfred's News Alfreds News November-December 2017 | Page 3

Club News
Australian Sailing Awards
Rising RPAYC stars, Natasha Bryant and Annie Wilmot were named the nation’s top sailors for 2017 at the Australian Sailing
Awards this month.
The duo of Bryant and Wilmot won Female Sailor of the Year at a
festive ceremony which celebrated Australian Sailing’s diverse
strengths. The Male and Female Sailor of the Year Award is the
highest achievement an Australian Sailor can be honoured with. For
the Bryant & Wilmot the endless hours on water with Coach Traks
(Evan) Gordon, their passion to excel and the goal of representing
Australia at the Tokyo Oylmpics was recognised by their peers.
Success for the Club continued with the announcement of Club
Coach Thomas Spithill as the Australian Sailing Coach of the Year.
The Australian Sailing awards were held in conjunction with
Australian Sailing’s inaugural Hall of Fame Inductions which
saw RPAYC Members Kay Cottee, Daniel Fitzgibbon & Liesl Tesch, Phil Smidmore and Colin Beashel recognised for their
outstanding contributions and excellence in Sailing.
Glenn Ashby was rewarded Male Sailor of the Year for his expertise in guiding Emirates Team New Zealand to a
comprehensive 7-1 series win over Oracle Team USA, skippered by RPAYC Member James Spithill in the 35th America’s Cup,
in Bermuda in June.
Bryant and Wilmot have it all ahead of them, but they were recognised for their outstanding performance in winning the
Youth World Sailing Championship in the 29er class in New Zealand last December. In a remarkable display of dedication to
representing Australia at a higher level, the duo later declared they would not defend their world title in China this year and
moved into the Olympic class 49er in order to focus on securing a coveted place on the Australian Sailing Team for the Tokyo
2020 Games.
“We’re really honoured to be receiving this award and we’d really like to thank [2016 Olympic silver medalist] Lisa Darmanin
for all that she’s done for us and all her mentoring,” Bryant said.
Wilmot thanked the many people she said had supported the pair, including their families and coach, Traks Gordon.
“Tonight has been amazing, being in this room with all these legends,
it’s just so inspiring for the young generation out there,” she added.
Sport Promotion Award
RPAYC Members Lisa Ratcliff and RPAYC were both finalists and
recognised for their outstanding support and promotion of Sailing.
Coach of the Year
RPAYC's Head Coach Thomas Spitill took out this year’s Australian Coach
of the Year award continuing his winning streak from the top award at
the YNSW awards. Tom was recognised for this dedication to the sport
of sailing across all aspects of coaching, learn to sail, development,
performance and especially for introducing and integrating non sailors
into the sport, through his support of Soldier On, the Invictus Games
and many other community groups.