Sydney Hobart history-maker Jiang Lin headlines Australian Sailing Awards finalists

Jiang Lin, the first woman to skipper an overall Sydney Hobart winner, and navigator Andy Green, whose season included line honours in the same race, are among finalists announced for the 2026 Australian Sailing Awards.

Lin is nominated for Female Sailor of the Year alongside Stacey Jackson, who sailed as part of the first all-female crew to complete a non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation for the Jules Verne Trophy, and Australian Sailing Team athlete Zoe Thomson OLY. Thomson narrowly missed the world championship medal race at the 2026 ILCA 6 Women's World Championship in Dublin Bay but rose to seventh in the world rankings during the nomination period as she campaigns toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Green's nomination for Male Sailor of the Year recognises a season that also included victories at Hamilton Island Race Week and the Etchells World Championships. He is joined by AST teammates Matt Wearn OAM OLY, who won three Sailing Grand Slam events, and Grae Morris OLY, who took second at the Long Beach Olympic Class Regatta and first at the Under 23 World Championships.

The awards have expanded to include separate youth categories for the first time, made possible by Noakes Group's appointment as Australian Sailing's Official Youth Sailing Partner. The Noakes Group Female Youth finalists are 29er sailors Mia Austin and Zara Marks, International Cadet sailor Olive Hooper, and ILCA 6 sailor Caterina Meyer. The male youth finalists are iQFOiL sailor Rory Meehan, wing foiler Connor Radford, and ILCA 6 sailor Jasper Stay.

Six clubs are in contention for Club of the Year across two categories, with Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club and Whitsunday Sailing Club competing in Category A, and Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club, Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club and Sandy Bay Sailing Club in Category B.

The full finalist list spans 16 categories including Team of the Year, Para Sailor of the Year, Coach of the Year, Innovation Award and Volunteer of the Year.

National winners will be announced on 30 October at the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, with the ceremony streamed live on Australian Sailing's social media channels.