Nominations are now invited for the 2008 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards. The list of nominees and winners since the first presentation in 1994 is an exceptional roll call of the world’s top sailors from all disciplines of the sport.

Nominations can be made by anyone and the only criteria are that sailors must have performed an “outstanding achievement in the sport” during the qualifying period of 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008. Nominations should be sent in to ISAF by 10.00hrs (UTC) on Friday 5 September 2008 on the official form which can be found here .

The past nominees and winners of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year include the highest achievers in the sport, with the winners’ roll call reading:

2007 – Ed Baird (USA) and Claire Leroy (FRA)
2006 – Mike Sanderson (NZL) and Paige Railey (USA)

2005 – Fernando Echavarri; Anton Paz (ESP) and Ellen Macarthur (GBR)

2004 – Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Sofia Bekatorou; Emilia Tsoulfa (GRE)

2003 – Russell Coutts (SUI) and Siren Sundby (NOR)

2002 – Ben Ainslie (GBR) and Sofia Bekatorou; Emilia Tsoulfa (GRE)

2001 – Robert Scheidt (BRA) and Ellen Macarthur (GBR)

2000 – Mark Reynolds; Magnus Liljedahl (USA) and Shirley Robertson (GBR)

1999 – Mateusz Kusznierewicz (POL) and Margriet Matthijse (NED)

1998 – Ben Ainslie (GBR) and Carolijn Brouwer (NED)

1997 – Pete Goss (GBR) and Ruslana Taran; Elena Pakholchik (UKR)

1996 – Jochen Schümann (GER) and Lee-Lai Shan (HKG)

1995 – Russell Coutts (NZL) and Isabelle Autissier (FRA)

1994 – Peter Blake (NZL); Robin Knox Johnston (GBR) and Theresa Zabell (ESP)