The Committee of the Yachting Journalist Association has selected a short list of three for the BT YJA Yachtsman of the Year 2000 Award. The Committee noted that the overall standard of the nominations received and achievements of British sailors this year has never been surpassed in the 45 year existence of the Award. The three nominations are as follows:

Ellen MacArthur:

In her yacht Kingfisher, Ellen won the Open 60 class of 19 boats in the Europe 1 New Man STAR single-handed, trans-Atlantic race from Plymouth to Newport, previously dominated by French sailors. She was the first British winner since the 1960s and, at the age of 23, the youngest ever to win a class in the race.

Adrian Stead:

Skipper of Barlo Plastics which won the French Tour Voile 2000. The event, which consisted of 23 races starting at Dieppe and finishing at Calvi in Corsica a month later, was dominated by Barlo Plastics which held the leader’s red spinnaker from Portsmouth, the tour’s second port of call, and never relinquished it.

Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy and Shirley Robinson

The British Medalists at the 2000 Olympic Regatta in Sydney, Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy and Shirley Robinson, won Gold medals in the three single-handed classes. Silver medals were won by Ian Walker and Mark Covell in the Star class and by Ian Barker and Simon Hiscocks in the 49er class. The British team put on its best performance ever in an Olympic regatta, coming away with the most medals.

The winner of the Award will be announced at the Boat Show Ball to be held at the London Hilton on Park Lane on Friday 5 January 2001. Tickets are available at £ 111.63 each from the Ticket Desk on 020 7724 8917 or on the website, www.nauticalawards.com