Sailing celebrated at regional BBC Sports Awards

Ben Ainslie’s already bumper 2008 trophy haul has been boosted yet again after the history-making Olympian picked up a hat-trick of BBC Regional Sports Awards on Sunday night.

The Lymington-based three-time gold medallist was crowned BBC South’s Sports Personality of the Year at their annual awards ceremony at Southampton’s De Vere Grand Harbour hotel in recognition of his achievements in becoming Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor this summer.

Ainslie, who was unable to attend the awards as he was competing at the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia, was also named BBC South Yachtsman of the Year as RYA Olympic Manager Stephen Park collected the awards on Ainslie’s behalf.

With the sailor raised near Falmouth in Cornwall, BBC South West also honoured Ainslie at their awards event staged at the University of Bath. The 31-year-old was named Olympian of the Year.

Ainslie, crowned 2008 ISAF World Male Sailor of the Year last month, now has one eye on landing the main BBC Sports Personality of the Year prize. The Skandia Team GBR star is on the final shortlist of 10 in the running for the coveted accolade, which will be voted for and announced during the live BBC awards broadcast from Liverpool on Sunday (14 December).

The gold-medal winning Yngling trio of Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson were also amongst the winners at the BBC South awards. The reigning Olympic, World and European champions were named Female Team of the Year, with Webb at the Southampton event to collect the trophy.

Stephen Park’s immeasurable contribution to Britain’s sailors landing the nation’s biggest ever Olympic sailing medal at Beijing 2008 haul was recognised, meanwhile, at the Sunday Mail and Sport Scotland Scottish Sports Awards last week.

Sparky won the Coach of the Year Award ahead of Rangers football manager Walter Smith, who led his team to the UEFA Cup final last season, and Bob Torrance, coach of 2008 British Open and US PGA Championship golf champion Padraig Harrington. He was presented with the award by Scotland football manager George Burley.

He said: “I’d never have expected to beat the Rangers manager Walter Smith up in Glasgow – especially not coming from a sport that’s relatively low profile in Scotland.

“This award isn’t just for me. In sport, you can’t be a successful manager without hugely talented athletes and a team around you of equally talented and committed support staff, so this is a great testament to the efforts of Skandia Team GBR as a whole during this fantastic year.”

Sailing also enjoyed further success at the BBC West awards, held in conjunction with the BBC South West awards in Bath, as Don Cannon, the club president at Bowmoor Sailing Club in Gloucestershire, was voted BBC West Unsung Hero of the Year.

Mr Cannon, a founder member of Bowmoor SC in the mid-1970s, has worked tirelessly for the past 30 years to ensure club users have continued to enjoy access to first class facilities.

The award is presented to someone who has worked on a voluntary basis to enable others to participate in sport and he will now join Ainslie in Liverpool on Sunday where all 15 of the BBC’s regional Unsung Hero award winners will congregate and an overall winner will be announced.