PARIS, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Tom Slingsby and Kirsten Neuschafer were honored as the World Sailor of the Year at World Sailing Awards ceremony held in Malaga, Spain on Tuesday.
In a contest decided by an expert panel and a public vote, Slingsby was separated from his nearest competitor by fewer than 20 votes.
Australian Slingsby won the award for the third time after winning SailGP trophy for a third consecutive time. He was also skipper of American Magic, which will seek success in the America's Cup next year.
"I'm super humbled to be in this position. Previously when I've won this award, it's been after a Laser world title or a Moth world title but this time it was purely sailing with teams," Slingsby said.
Neuschafer of South Africa was named the best female sailor after etching her name into the history books by becoming the first woman to finish first in the solo Golden Globe Race, a journey around the world reliant on no modern technology. She also came to the rescue of a fellow sailor during the event.
The Magenta Project won the 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award. The AC40 was named Boat of the Year, 11th Hour Racing won Team of the Year, Dick Rose was presented with the Beppe Croce Trophy and the Andrew Simpson Foundation won the President's Development Award. ■
