With the voting process already wrapped up, everyone’s attention is now focused towards the presentation and dinner at the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards that will take place on Tuesday 10 November 2009. The scheduled venue for the announcement of winners is the Busan Yacht Club, Busan, Korea. After all the grueling sailing events and tough competition that the sailors go through being rewarded at this prestigious ceremony makes it all worth it. Each of the winners shall be honored with the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award Trophy and a unique Rolex timepiece.

Rolex stands for excellence in the world of watch making and through its association with sporting events it hopes to bring forth and reward the sporting world’s best talent. Being a part of Rolex sponsored events itself is an honor for any sportsperson. All the competing sportspersons are the best in their field and also bring nothing less than the best to the competition. However, when the reward happens to be a Rolex timepiece along with the trophy, for sure it gives them the extra motivation to deliver par excellence.

ISAF MNAs (Member National Authorities) is the national governing body for sailing the world over. Each MNA is supposed to vote for the one male and one female sailor who they believe is the most deserving and rightful candidate for the award. This year too the ISAF MNAs have selected the deserving winners for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards. The nominees and winners were chosen on the basis of their achievements during the qualifying period beginning September 1 2008 to August 31 2009.

The female nominees this year include Sam Davies (GBR), Hilary Lister (GBR), Blanca Manchón (ESP) and Anna Tunnicliffe (USA). The male nominees include Pascal Bidégorry (FRA), Michel Desjoyeaux (FRA), Paul Goodison (GBR), Torben Grael (BRA) and Nathan Outteridge (AUS). It is a close call and the MNAs have a tough decision on their hands as all of the nominees have proved their excellence on the waves. To be able to compete in Rolex events and emerge as the winner itself is quite a task and tests sportspersons to the extreme. And with the world’s best sailing talent making it to the nomination list, the MNAs had some very difficult choice to make.

Each nominee has a brilliant list of achievements to add to his or her credit and thereby to the confusion of the MNAs. With the Busan Yacht Club in Korea chosen as the picturesque venue for the announcement, the effort of the sailors and the MNAs would be aptly rewarded. The club is located close to the famous Haeundae Beach and Dalmaji Hill. The club also offers shark diving at the Busan Aquarium. From sailing with the sharks at the competition to diving with them at the Busan Yacht Club will definitely help the sharks of the sailing world bond with the sharks of the ocean. Rolex not only makes its events special but the reward ceremonies prove to be as extravagant as the competitions.