Nathan Outteridge - ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award finalist

6:57 AM Wed 28 Sep 2011 GMT

'Nathan Outteridge/Iain Jensen (AUS)' Fried Elliott ?

Australian sailor Nathan Outteridge has been named as a finalist for the prestigious ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award, the second time in three years that Outteridge has been in the running for the award.

The announcement of Outteridge as a finalist comes off the back of a stellar year for the 25 year old where he won the International Moth World Championship, continued his quest for Gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the 49er class and competed in World Championships in another four classes.

'It's a great feeling to be nominated for an award like this, especially when you look at some of the names that have won it in the past,' said Outteridge. 'You don't go out and do events to win awards like this but it's great to be acknowledged for what you do and the effort that you put in on and off the water.

'I had a solid year in the 49er and the Moth result was an important one for me personally, but I also enjoyed sailing in a range of classes and I think that helped in getting me onto the finalist list,' he said. 'There are some great sailors in there, including Ben Ainslie who's won this award a number of times before and Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez who got Silver in the 49er at the test event and also competed in the Barcelona World Race so the competition's going to be tight.'

Outteridge's successes in the last year include winning the 2011 International Moth World Championship, the 2011 49er European Championships, 2011 Sail for Gold and the Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, the test event for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The two wins in Weymouth made it four straight victories for Outteridge and 49er crew Iain Jensen on the Olympic course. The Lake Macquarie based sailor has shown great diversity in his sailing, competing in World Championships in the last year in the Melges 32 class in San Francisco, Farr 40 in Sydney, 505 on Hamilton Island and Laser SB3 in Great Britain.

'For me the win at the Moth Worlds stood out for a couple of reasons,' he said. 'It was a big event, lots of competitors and in a class where you're really pushing the boundaries. To win that was quite rewarding. 'The win for Iain and me at the test event in Weymouth was also an important one, it was the hardest win of the year as we only got it on a count back after the medal race,' he said. 'That event was what our whole year was about, all of the regattas before it were about building up for that regatta and while we didn't win it the way we wanted to we fought the whole way and got the result we were after.

'Iain and I are now fully focused on London 2012, going undefeated in Weymouth and hopefully boosting Australia's medal tally,' said Outteridge. 'First up we've got to qualify through the World Championships in Perth in December but from here on it it's all about 49er sailing.'

If Outteridge brings home the award it will be back-to-back ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award wins for Australia, following Tom Slingsby's win in 2010, the first time that an Australian had won the award.

'After Tom won the award last year I told him that I was going to get it one day, I didn't really expect to be in the running this soon but hopefully things will go my way,' he said.

Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen from Australia racing in the 49er class on day 5 of the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, in Weymouth and Portland, the 2012 Olympic venue. - onEdition &copy Click Here to view large photo

The winners will be announced at the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards presentation in Puerto Rico in November.

For more information on the Australian Sailing Team visit www.australiansailingteam.com.au and follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AusSailingTeam

by Craig Heydon

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Nathan Outteridge - ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award finalist

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