Bouwmeester, Botin, and Trittel honored at 2024 Rolex Sailors of the Year Awards
by World Sailing 5 Nov 08:32 PST
5 November 2024
Dutch sailing champion Marit Bouwmeester and the Spanish Olympic and SailGP team of Botin and Trittel have been named 2024 Rolex Sailors of the Year © World Sailing
After a remarkable year in sailing, the sport’s top performers were celebrated at the World Sailing Awards ceremony held at Singapore’s historic CHIJMES Hall.
The 2024 Rolex World Sailor of the Year awards were awarded to Marit Bouwmeester, the Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallist and the most decorated female sailor in Olympic history, alongside the Spanish team of Diego Botin and Florian Trittel, champions in the men’s skiff at Paris 2024 and SailGP season 4 winners.
The winners were determined through a record 49,964 public votes combined with the decisions of a panel of expert judges.
The inaugural Young World Sailor of the Year awards went to Poland’s Ewa Lewandowska and local favorite Max Maeder from Singapore.
Ewa Lewandowska secured a notable gold medal in the mixed division of the 29er at the Youth Sailing World Championships, achieving this with her partner Krzysztof Królik, with whom she began sailing in February. Together, they also claimed the European title and finished as runners-up at the 29er World Championships. Furthermore, Lewandowska won a gold medal at the youth worlds last December alongside Julia Maria Zmudzinska.
At just 17 years old, Max is the reigning Formula Kite World, Asian Games, and both Asian and European champion, in addition to being the Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist. He won gold at the 2024 Formula Kite World Championships in Hyères, achieving a remarkable feat that includes victories at the KiteFoil World Series in Austria, the KiteFoil Asian Championships, the Asian Games, and the 2023 Youth Sailing World Championship. He is recognized as one of the most consistent competitors in the Formula Kite class with a podium finish at every event. He is the industry’s youngest world champion of an Olympic class as well as Singapore’s youngest Olympic medallist.
The Winds of Change initiative received the 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award, while NLcomp was recognized as the first-ever recipient of the new World Sailing Technology Award. The Olympic champion duo of Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti were named Team of the Year, adding to the Rolex World Sailor of the Year award they both earned in 2022. Aiko Saito received the Beppe Croce Trophy in honor of her dedicated sailing career, and Hedi Gharbi, the Tunisian Olympian and President of the Tunisian Sailing Federation, was awarded the President’s Development Award.
Marit Bouwmeester won the female 2024 Rolex World Sailor of the Year for the second time, having previously won in 2017. This year, marking the awards’ 30th anniversary, she attained the status of the most successful female Olympic sailor ever by winning gold in the women’s dinghy at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, culminating in an incredible total of four Olympic medals: golds from Paris 2024 and Rio 2016, silvers from London 2012, and bronzes from Tokyo 2020. Bouwmeester’s Olympic achievements position her as a role model, especially noteworthy for her return to competition after the birth of her daughter, ahead of this year’s Olympic preparations.
The Spanish team of Diego Botin and Florian Trittel achieved outstanding success this year, culminating with their victories at the Paris 2024 Olympics and in SailGP. They won Olympic gold in the men’s skiff shortly after leading the Spain SailGP Team from last to first place to capture the Season 4 championship. Botin and Trittel broke Australia’s long-standing dominance in SailGP, securing gold in Marseille after an impressive 49er season that also included wins at Semaine Olympique Francaise and the Princess Sofia Regatta.
The President’s Development Award was presented to Hedi Gharbi, the dedicated President of the Tunisian Sailing Federation. With a lifelong love for sailing, Gharbi is a significant and respected figure in Tunisian sailing history. He began his journey in the Optimist class and quickly ascended to national-level competition. Gharbi represented Tunisia in both windsurfing and catamaran events during his career.
Gharbi simultaneously held the position of President during his participation in the Rio Olympic Games. Currently on his second term as President of the Tunisian Sailing Federation, he has been instrumental in promoting sailing at all levels in Tunisia, from grassroots initiatives to elite competition.
About the World Sailing Awards
Launched in 1994, the World Sailor of the Year Awards recognize outstanding individual achievements in sailing. Rolex has sponsored the awards since 2001, celebrating over twenty years of achievements in the sport.
In collaboration with 11th Hour Racing since 2018, the focus has been on promoting impactful sustainability initiatives within the maritime sector aligned with World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030. The winner of the sustainability award receives a $10,000 prize to support their ongoing sustainability initiatives, along with a trophy made from recycled carbon fiber from an America’s Cup boat mixed with bio-resin.
The World Sailing Annual Conference receives support from the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Sailing Federation. The World Sailing Awards are aided by Rolex, 11th Hour Racing, and Tiger Beer.
