Nominations open for YJA 2022 Awards

The coveted YJA Yachtsman of the Year trophy © Sam Kurtul / www.worldofthelens.co.uk

Today at the Yacht Racing Forum taking place in Malta, it was announced that nominations for the famous YJA Yachtsman of the Year and the YJA Young Sailor of the Year awards are now open for 2022. These awards are, without doubt, the most prestigious in UK yachting, having been established in 1955 and awarded to many of the great names in sailing and boating, including Sir Ben Ainslie, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Dame Ellen MacArthur, Steve Curtis, Dee Caffari, Rodney Pattisson, Chay Blyth, Tracy Edwards and, most recently, Pip Hare.

Anyone can make a nomination for these awards and are actively encouraged to do so. We've seen British sailors excelling in the UK and around the globe in 2022, but remember it is not just championship and major event wins which are recognised, so if you feel any act of seamanship should be recognised, please put your nomination in.

To qualify for the awards, the nominee must be the holder of a British passport. For the Young Sailor award, the nominee must be under the age of 19 on December 31st 2022.

The nomination period closes at midnight (GMT) on Sunday 11th December 2022, so ensure you make your submission as soon as possible.

Make your nomination at yja.world/yja-yachtsman-of-the-year-awards-2022-nomination-form

Mark Jardine, Vice-Chairman of the Yachting Journalists' Association said, "These two trophies are the most coveted in British sailing, and we at the YJA would love as many nominations as possible to make choosing a shortlist and winner very hard for our members. There have been some exceptional performances by British sailors in 2022, so please send through who you think deserves the recognition for their performance or actions on the water."

Nominations are also open today for the YJA Young Journalist of the Year, an award that is designed to encourage those just starting out in the industry and offer them recognition for their work, which can be in any medium. Similarly, the qualification for this is that the nominee must be under the age of 19 on December 31st 2022.

Cliff Webb, Chairman of the Yachting Journalists' Association added, "These awards are recognised and appreciated worldwide, and seen as an enormous source of pride by former winners. Nominees may come from any form of boating, not just sailing, both men and women of course. The list of winners dating back to 1955 is truly remarkable, and it will be fascinating to see who will have their name added to this extraordinary roll of honour."

Arrangements for the presentation of the awards will be announced in due course.