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Irish Sailor of the Year
Worlds Battle — Ireland’s J/24 Headcase helmed by Cillian Dickson in close racing during the World Championship in Plymouth, where the Irish crew secured the global title after a tense series.
Thursday night’s presentation by Sue Concannon (Killaloe Sailing Club and President, Irish Sailing) of the Afloat.ie/Irish Sailing “Sailors of the Year 2025” award to Cillian Dickson of Lough Ree Yacht Club, together with his World Champion shipmates on the J/24…
“Boot
J/24 world champions Cillian Dickson and the Headcase crew have been crowned Irish Sailors of the Year after a remarkable international campaign in 2025. As Afloat's WM Nixon writes here, the team secured the prestigious “Afloat Sailor of the Year”…
Beacon Of Celebration — The lighthouse lens at the National Maritime Museum, Dun Laoghaire, venue for the 2025 Irish Sailing Awards where Irish Sailor of the Year will be announced.
The coveted Irish Sailor of the Year title will headline the 2025 Irish Sailing Awards at the National Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire on Thursday, 5 March. The annual ceremony celebrates Irish sailing talent at home and abroad. It also…
The 2025 Irish Sailor of the Year shortlist highlights Dublin and Cork strength, leading clubs and success across offshore, Olympic and youth sailing
The 2025 Irish Sailor of the Year shortlist offers a revealing snapshot of where Irish sailing talent, effort and success are currently concentrated. Details of each sailor are in Afloat's article 'Choosing the Irish Sailor of the Year for 2025',…
“Cillian
Despite increasing year-round global participation, the structure of the Irish sailing year is such that January and February are the “Months of Assessment” for the previous season’s achievements, and for many years now the Afloat.ie “Sailor of the Year” is…
Tom Dolan is Irish Sailor of the |Year –  it was scarcely a surprise in view of his clear, total and unprecedented overall win in the annual Solitaire du Figaro 2024
When Tom Dolan became Ireland's new "Sailor of the Year" in Dublin on Friday night (February 28th), it was scarcely a surprise in view of his clear, total and unprecedented overall win in the annual Solitaire du Figaro 2024. It…
Class of 2024 (From top left): Neil Murphy of Howth is Sailor of the Month (Admin) for December; Tom Dolan of National YC is
Over 78 Afloat.ie Sailors of the Month in 2024 demonstrate the strength and diversity of the sport of sailing in Ireland. Afloat's review of individual sailors, pairings and crews (below) is a roll call of all those who have excelled…
Storming along to the big win in Tangier. Eve McMahon was to show grace under pressure in maintaining a very clear lead in the ILCA U21 Worlds in Tangier
Friday evening’s announcement of the Irish Sailor of the Year 2023 title for 19-year-old Eve McMahon at her sailing home of Howth Yacht Club well captures the zeitgeist of mid-2020s Ireland, not least in the fact that the title holder…
Class of 2023 - The Irish Sailors of the Year of 2023 (clockwise from top left): Adrienne Cahalane, Paul O'Higgins, Chris Bateman, Pamela Lee, Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove, Lucia Cullen and Alana Twomey, Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt, Niall and Ronan O'Briain, Rocco Wright, Anthony O'Leary, Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain, Justin Slattery, Tiernan Roe, Clementine and Nathan Van Steenberg, Tom Nolan, Nigel Young and Will Byrne, Andy Thompson, Duncan Sclare, Barry Cunningham, Jame and David Dwyer, Eve McMahon, Ron O'Hanley, Gary McMahon, Cillian Dickson, John Minnis, Sienna Wright, Aongus O Cualain, David Beattie, Cian Guilfoyle, Russell Bolger, Jack Fahy and UCD team, Rory Whyte, Tom Higgins, Micheal O'Suilleabhain, Ann Kirwan, Johnny Murphy, Don O'Dowd, Harry Dunne, Finn Lynch, Lawrie Smith, Dave O'Shea, Seamus O’Connor, Tom Dolan and Dave Kenefick
The Irish Sailor of the Year Award will be presented on Friday, March 22nd, at the Irish Sailing Awards in Howth Yacht Club, Co. Dublin. One of the highlights of the evening will be the announcement of the 2023 winner, chosen…
Class of 2023 - The Irish Sailors of the Year of 2023 (clockwise from top left): Adrienne Cahalane, Paul O'Higgins, Chris Bateman, Pamela Lee, Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove, Lucia Cullen and Alana Twomey, Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt, Niall and Ronan O'Briain, Rocco Wright, Anthony O'Leary, Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain, Justin Slattery, Tiernan Roe, Clementine and Nathan Van Steenberg, Tom Nolan, Nigel Young and Will Byrne, Andy Thompson, Duncan Sclare, Barry Cunningham, Jame and David Dwyer, Eve McMahon, Ron O'Hanley, Gary McMahon, Cillian Dickson, John Minnis, Sienna Wright, Aongus O Cualain, David Beattie, Cian Guilfoyle, Russell Bolger, Jack Fahy and UCD team, Rory Whyte, Tom Higgins, Micheal O'Suilleabhain, Ann Kirwan, Johnny Murphy, Don O'Dowd, Harry Dunne, Finn Lynch, Lawrie Smith, Dave O'Shea, Seamus O’Connor, Tom Dolan and Dave Kenefick
Who gets your vote for the Irish Sailor of the Year 2023? Over 40 Afloat Sailors of the Month in 2023 demonstrate the strength and diversity of the sport of sailing in Ireland.  Afloat's review of individual sailors, pairings and…
“We’re on our way….” Eve McMahon after clinching Gold in mid-July 2022 in the Youth Worlds at the Hague in The Netherlands
Eve McMahon is “Irish Sailor of the Year 2022”, making it into the top national position for the second successive year after the ILCA 6 sailor’s international performance was of such a standard that she even managed to better her…
Class of 2022 - The Irish Sailors of the Year (clockwise from top left) Jim Schofield, Paul Kehoe, Justin Slattery, Karen Weekes, Shane Diviney, Harry Durcan, Eve McMahon, Hal Sisk, Philip Mayne, Lucia Cullen, Cian McCarthy, Sam Hunt, Pat Kelly, John Maybury, Dermot Skehan, Ross McDonald, Frank Guy, Chris Moore, Naomi Alego, Alana Twomey, Rocco Wright, Hannes Louet-Feisser, Simon O’Keeffe, Fiachra Geraghty-McDonnell, Patrick Boardman, Laura Dillon, Andy Thompson, Caoilinn Geraghty-McDonnell, Sean Craig, Richie Evans, Micheal O’Suilleabhain, Vicky Cox and Peter Dunlop, Nick Cats, Colman Grimes, Melanie Morris, Ger Owens, Tom Dolan, Conor Doyle, Robbie English, Damian Browne, Peter Crowley, Bill O’Hara, Con Murphy, David Lovegrove, Lee Condell, Pat O’Neill Mike Evans and Aoife English.
It was the Year of Years. 2022 was the extended and invigorated season in which sailing in Ireland finally and fully emerged from the very complete set of pandemic-imposed restrictions. At home and abroad, our hugely varied individuals, groups and…
Class of 2022 - The Irish Sailors of the Year (clockwise from top left) Jim Schofield, Paul Kehoe, Justin Slattery, Karen Weekes, Shane Diviney, Harry Durcan, Eve McMahon, Hal Sisk, Philip Mayne, Lucia Cullen, Cian McCarthy, Sam Hunt, Pat Kelly, John Maybury, Dermot Skehan, Ross McDonald, Frank Guy, Chris Moore, Naomi Alego, Alana Twomey, Rocco Wright, Hannes Louet-Feisser, Simon O’Keeffe, Fiachra Geraghty-McDonnell, Patrick Boardman, Laura Dillon, Andy Thompson, Caoilinn Geraghty-McDonnell, Sean Craig, Richie Evans, Micheal O’Suilleabhain, Vicky Cox and Peter Dunlop, Nick Cats, Colman Grimes, Melanie Morris, Ger Owens, Tom Dolan, Conor Doyle, Robbie English, Damian Browne, Peter Crowley, Bill O’Hara, Con Murphy, David Lovegrove, Lee Condell, Pat O’Neill Mike Evans and Aoife English. Scroll down for month by month citations and vote in our poll (panel on the right on desktop and at the bottom of the article on mobile and tablet)
Who gets your vote for the Irish Sailor of the Year 2022? 50 Afloat Sailors of the Month in 2022 (double that awarded in 2021) demonstrate the strength and diversity of the sport of sailing in Ireland. Afloat's review of…
New “Sailor of the Year” Eve McMahon finding her way at speed through the spray of Lake Garda in July, en route to the World Title
Eve McMahon of Howth Yacht Club, the Golden Girl of the international ILCA Classes, is Afloat.ie “Irish Sailor of the Year” for 2021, deservedly following an honoured track set over many years by Ireland’s legends in the sport. Such elevation…
Irish Sailors of the Year 2021
Many thanks to the multitude of Afloat.ie followers who have made an input into the voting - concluded on Sunday (January 30th) - which is an integral part of the selection process for the annual Afloat.ie "Irish Sailor of the…
Irish Sailors of the Year 2021
Sailing and boating sports were more frustrated than many other activities during the highly-restricted peaks of the pandemic. For although it was universally agreed that there was nowhere more healthy and infection-free than aboard a boat out on the water…

Ireland's Sailor of the Year Awards

Created in 1996, the Afloat Sailor of the Year Awards represent all that is praiseworthy, innovative and groundbreaking in the Irish sailing scene.

Since it began 25 years ago, the awards have recognised over 500 monthly award winners in the pages of Ireland's sailing magazine Afloat, and these have been made to both amateur and professional sailors. The first-ever Sailor of the Year was dinghy sailor Mark Lyttle, a race winner at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

And since then it's gone on to read like a who's who of Irish sailing.

The national award is specially designed to salute the achievements of Ireland's sailing's elite. After two decades the awards has developed into a premier awards ceremony for water sports.

The overall national award will be announced each January to the person who, in the judges' opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to, Irish sailing in the previous year.

A review of the first 25 years of the Irish Sailor the Year Awards is here

Irish Sailor of the Year Award FAQs

The Irish Sailor of the Year Awards is a scheme designed by Afloat magazine to represent all that is praiseworthy, innovative and groundbreaking in the Irish sailing scene..

The Irish Sailor of the Year Awards began in 1996.

The awards are administered by Afloat, Ireland's boating magazine.

  • 1996 Mark Lyttle
  • 1997 Tom Roche
  • 1998 Tom Fitzpatrick & David McHugh
  • 1999 Mark Mansfield
  • 2000 David Burrows
  • 2001 Maria Coleman
  • 2002 Eric Lisson
  • 2003 Noel Butler & Stephen Campion
  • 2004 Eamonn Crosbie
  • 2005 Paddy Barry & Jarlath Cunnane
  • 2006 Justin Slattery
  • 2007 Ger O'Rourke
  • 2008 Damian Foxall
  • 2009 Mark Mills
  • 2010 Anthony O'Leary
  • 2011 George Kenefick
  • 2012 Annalise Murphy
  • 2013 David Kenefick
  • 2014 Anthony O'Leary
  • 2015 Liam Shanahan
  • 2016 Annalise Murphy
  • 2017 Conor Fogerty
  • 2018 Robert Dickson & Sean Waddilove
  • 2019 Paul O'Higgins

Yes. The boating public and maritime community can have their say to help guide judges in deciding who should be crowned Ireland's Sailor of the Year by using an Afloat online poll). The judges welcome the traditional huge level of public interest in helping them make their decision but firmly retain their right to make the ultimate decision for the final choice while taking voting trends into account. By voting for your favourite nominee, you are creating additional awareness of their nomination and highlighting their success.

Anthony O'Leary of Crosshaven and Annalise Murphy of Dun Laoghaire are the only contenders to be Afloat.ie "Sailors of the Year" twice – himself in 2010 and 2014, and herself in 2012 and 2016.

In its 25 year history, there have been wins for 15, offshore or IRC achievements, nine dinghy and one designs accomplishments and one for adventure sailing.

Annually, generally in January or February of the following year.

In 2003 Her Royal Highness Princess Anne presented the Awards.

©Afloat 2020