The National 2025 Australian Sailing Awards were held on Friday night November 14 in Sydney where the off-water contributions were acknowledged with Volunteer of the Year winner being announced as the RPAYC's Julia Hornsby. Julia played an integral role in the hugely successful delivery of the 2025 Hansa and Para World Championships at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club through her role as the Chair of the Organising Authority.
“It’s a great surprise because I’ve been volunteering for a long time and I meet the most wonderful people and athletes doing it,” said Hornsby.
“It’s wonderful that my club are so supportive of everything, and it’s something I would just keep on doing regardless because I love it.”
Sailors who attended the 2025 championships across the world sent their congratulations via social media, thanking Julia for her efforts earlier this year and the club for being such wonderful hosts.
Thomas Elton said: 'Excelleeeent!!! Congratulación Julia!!! Thanks for all the support and work for the Hansa Worlds. Big hug from Chile.''
Victor van Doorn said: ''Congratulations from The Netherlands! And again thanks for the warm welcome in the 2024 World Airline Sailing Championship. We felt at home!''
Peter Phillips said: ''Well done Julia from all of the World Airline Sailors. Thank you so much for hosting WASC 2024.''
“A very special win for a very special person.
Robert McClelland, Commodore, Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, stated:
Congratulations, Julia — your dedication, leadership, and support at RPAYC mean the world to all of us. Thank you for everything you do.”
Members of the RPAYC and the broader community stated this was a well deserved recognition for all the hard work Julia has done and continues to do.
''The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is incredibly proud to celebrate two remarkable honours at this year’s Australian Sailing Awards, recognising the dedication, leadership and passion of our community.'' the club stated
''Congratulations to Julia Hornsby, whose exceptional commitment to sailing and inclusion has been recognised with the Australian Sailing Volunteer of the Year Award.
This year, Julia spearheaded the hugely successful Hansa Worlds at RPAYC, one of the world’s premier events embracing sailors with and without disabilities.
Her vision, warmth and tireless drive helped deliver a transformational championship that left a lasting legacy on our Club, our members, our staff, and every competitor who took part. A truly outstanding and well-deserved honour.''
''We are equally proud to celebrate Ted Anderson, recognised nationally with the Australian Sailing Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ted’s decades of unwavering service, leadership and love for the sport have helped shape the evolution of sailing in NSW and strengthened the fabric of RPAYC. His contribution continues to inspire generations of sailors.
We also acknowledge and congratulate all national recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award: Ian MacDiarmid (NSW), Jenny Graney (TAS), Chris Sheehan (TAS), Rod Thomas (VIC), Stephen Neuenhoffer (VIC), John & Terry Compton (WA), John Standley (WA) and Brett Burvill (WA).
Thank you for your long-standing commitment and the enduring impact you’ve made on clubs, sailors and the future of our sport.
RPAYC proudly celebrates Julia and Ted, extraordinary contributors, exceptional leaders, and true champions of our sailing community. Ted and his dedicated team will be in action next week, running the 31st Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship. With Ted as the Principal Race Officer for the 26th time.
Also representing RPAYC was Louis Tilly as a finalist in the Youth category and the Club as Club of the Year.''
At the RPAYC's 159th Open Day Pittwater MP a special presentation was made to Vice Commodore Julia Hornsby, recognising her trailblazing leadership and commitment to accessibility and inclusion.
Julia oversees many programs at the club, including the Alfred's Community Sailing program and the Hansa World Championships at the club in March 2025, and worked tirelessly to understand how to support participants with disabilities in this event.
''Julia’s work to improve accessibility and inclusion at the club is admirable, and we thank her for enriching our community. '' MS Scruby said
Vice Commodore Julia Hornsby, Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby and Commodore Robert McClelland
The Community Recognition statement reads:
Julia Hornsby is a trailblazer in our sailing community and the first female vice commodore at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club since its inception. Julia oversees many programs at the club including the Alfred’s Community Sailing Program, which aims to support the mental wellbeing of people who have experienced trauma. Participants include local emergency response workers, women from Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter refuge and police from the Domestic Violence Unit. Through this program, participants can enjoy a day out on the calm waters of Pittwater and a communal lunch with their colleagues. The program is a true testament to Julia’s character and her care for our Pittwater community.
Julia also led the charge to host the Hansa World Championships at the club. She worked tirelessly to understand how to support participants with disabilities in this event, including those who very impressively used only their chin to sail their Hansa yacht. Julia’s work to improve accessibility and inclusion at the club is nothing short of incredible, and I thank her for enriching our community.
Jacqui Scruby MP further said:
“Julia embodies the spirit of Pittwater—resilient, inclusive and deeply connected to her community.”
“Her leadership has opened new doors in sailing, creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds and abilities to be part of something bigger. We’re so fortunate to have her driving this change here in Pittwater.”
Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project is Club of the Year
The other big local winner was Club of the Year - Category B - in the Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project, which started through the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club welcoming four men to come sailing in their boats in 2016, and support them still.
Bronte Pollard, who attended the awards as the SVSP representative stated:
“Honoured to represent Saltwater Veterans at the Australian Sailing National Awards tonight — and absolutely blown away to bring home Category B Sailing Club of the Year, recognising the impact small clubs make in our sailing community.”
Scott Reynolds, co-founder, stated:
''As an ACNC-registered charity and Australian Sailing Club, we’re humbled and grateful. This award belongs to every Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project supporting volunteer, instructor, skipper, boat owner, club and organisation who give their time, access to equipment and venues to empower our vision, mission and purpose. Your support is our greatest gift. This is your award too.
With humble beginnings in 2017, we first set sail as ‘Four Men in a Boat’, a small group of veterans navigating the waters of Sydney. As our mission grew, we evolved into Saltwater Veterans in 2018, staying true to our core vision: to build a connected community of veterans and their families through meaningful engagement on the water.
In September 2022, we reached a major milestone with the establishment of the Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project (SVSP) — an ACNC-registered Health Promotion Charity with DGR status — followed in 2023 with our affiliation as an Australian Sailing Club & mobile Discover Sailing Centre.
What a journey so far and, thank you for your support.''
It's been a great couple of weeks for the Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project (SVSP), with the RAN shipping their long awaited and worked towards training vessel south to Sydney just a few weeks back. See Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project Gains an Elliott 7
The other big NSW winner in this year's awards was the Making Waves Foundation winning the Sport Promotion Award.
Making Waves Foundation is a nationally recognised not-for-profit organisation that uses sailing as a transformative tool to promote inclusion, resilience, and empowerment for young Australians living with a disability or experiencing disadvantage. The great Wendy Tuck leads up the Sailing Operations element of Making Waves and she is supported by the best of the best in the Executive Team, Directors and Patrons and Ambassadors.
Making Waves has advanced the profile of sailing across our region over the past year, by broadening the reach and relevance of our sport through adapted on water program delivery, impactful media exposure, and community engagement. Many of their participants have gone on to join sailing clubs and volunteer programs, building a more inclusive community.
''We are truly honoured to be awarded Sports Promotion of the Year Award 2025 by Australian Sailing. Thank you to every single participant, volunteers, supporter and partner of the Making Waves Foundation programs and each of our ports,'' MWF said
''This award recognises the outstanding efforts of a club, individual or organisation that has positively promoted sailing in the community. The criteria highlight work in:
- Organising and promoting significant sailing events,
- Enhancing public and commercial interest in the sport, and
- Generating media publicity across print, digital, radio, television, or photography.
At MWF, we are proud that our programs not only bring the joy of sailing to people living with disability and disadvantage, but also showcase sailing as a powerful tool for inclusion, empowerment and community impact. Winning this award reflects the dedication of our volunteers, staff, and partners who ensure that sailing continues to inspire and engage new audiences across NSW and the ACT.
This recognition strengthens our resolve to keep promoting sailing as a sport that welcomes everyone and changes lives.''
Australian Sailing Hall of Fame honours three new legends
As part of this year's Australian Sailing Awards, three of Australia’s modern sailing stars were inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame, with Olympic and America’s Cup stars Glenn Ashby OLY, Nathan Outteridge OAM OLY and Iain Jensen OAM OLY being announced as the Hall’s latest legends on Friday.
Bendigo’s Ashby is a 17-time world champion across several multihull disciplines, an Olympic silver medallist, America’s Cup-winning skipper and most recently set a new world land speed sailing record of 222.4 kilometres per hour, showcasing the same innovation and courage that have defined his career.
“It is a real pleasure and honour to receive this induction into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame,” said Ashby at the announcement.
“Over my career I have had the pleasure and good fortune of sailing alongside and competing against some of Australia’s and the world’s finest. Whilst in some ways this signals the end of an era for me, it also opens the doors to new and exciting challenges on and off the water into the future.”
Lifelong friends Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen have been inducted for their performances as a team, which include Olympic gold and silver medals, Youth and Senior World Championships, America’s Cup campaigns and a second-place finish in SailGP.
“It is an incredible honour and a deeply humbling privilege to be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame,” said Outteridge.
“To be recognised alongside so many extraordinary sailors who have inspired generations is something I will treasure always. Representing Australia on the world stage has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and every time I’ve worn the green and gold I’ve felt immense pride and gratitude. This recognition is not just a personal milestone, but a celebration of the passion, teamwork, and spirit that make Australian sailing so special.”
His great mate Jensen shared a similar sentiment when told of the honour.
“It’s a great honour and very humbling to be inducted in the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. Looking through the past inductees, this will be something I will be proud of for years to come.”
The Australian Sailing Hall of Fame acknowledges exceptional performance and contribution at the highest level by an individual or a team, both past and present. The Award includes all sailing categories and positions that contribute to the sport - including coaches and designers.
The inductions took place at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
Australian Sailing extended its sincerest congratulations to all Awards recipients and offers its thanks and gratitude to all finalists for contributing so significantly and positively to the Australian sailing community.
2025 Australian Sailing Award Winners
Female Sailor of the Year - Zoe Thomson (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club and East Fremantle Yacht Club, WA)
Male Sailor of the Year - James Mayo (Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, NSW/ACT)
Team of the Year - Team Magpie (Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club, NSW/ACT)
Para Sailor of the Year - Chris Symonds (Wynyard Yacht Club, TAS)
Youth Sailor of the Year - Rory Meehan (Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, QLD)
Coach of the Year - Rafael Trujillo (Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron and Australian Sailing Team, QLD)
Club of the Year - Category A - Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (WA)
Club of the Year - Category B - Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project (NSW/ACT)
Innovation Award - Airlie Beach Race Week (Whitsunday Sailing Club, QLD)
Instructor of the Year - Lucas James (Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, VIC)
Official of the Year - Rob Hubbard (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, WA)
SheSails Award - South Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta (Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia, SA)
Sport Professional Award - Jacqueline Ellis (Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, NSW/ACT)
Sport Promotion Award - Making Waves Foundation (NSW/ACT)
Volunteer of the Year - Julia Hornsby (Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, NSW/ACT)
