World Sailing extends 25-year partnership with Rolex

The Rolex World Sailor of the Year is the pinnacle of recognition for sailors, honouring those who have demonstrated unparalleled endurance, performance, and accomplishment in the sport. The winners of the male and female categories are selected by a panel of experts and the public, with the announcement made each year at the World Sailing Awards. The winners are presented with a unique trophy and a specially engraved Rolex timepiece.

David Graham, CEO of World Sailing, said, “We are thrilled to extend the partnership. Rolex shares our passion for excellence, performance, the spirit of sailing, and this extension reflects a shared commitment to celebrating the sport’s top athletes. The enduring nature of this support serves to elevate the Rolex World Sailor of the Year and to inspire the next generation of sailors.”

Launched in 1994, the award is recognised as the highest a sailor can receive in recognition of their outstanding achievements by the world of sailing. Rolex World Sailor of the Year celebrates the accomplishments of sailors across all disciplines of sailing, from inshore to offshore, and from dinghies to multihulls. The partnership with Rolex, which began in 2001, has seen the award grow in stature and prestige year on year.

The 2025 World Sailing Awards were held on 5 November 2025 in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, as part of the 2025 World Sailing Annual Conference.

About World Sailing

World Sailing is the world governing body for the sport of sailing, officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It is responsible for the promotion of the sport internationally, managing sailing at the Olympic Games, developing the Racing Rules of Sailing, and training judges, umpires, and other administrators. World Sailing’s mission is to make sailing more exciting and accessible for everyone to participate in or watch and to use its reach and influence to create a sustainable future for the sport and the waters of the world.

Rolex & Yachting

Rolex has always associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. The Swiss watchmaker naturally gravitated towards the elite world of yachting six decades ago and the brand’s enduring partnership now encompasses the most prestigious clubs, races and regattas, as well as towering figures in the sport, including ground-breaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester and the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie. Today, Rolex is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events – from leading offshore races such as the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. It also supports the exciting SailGP global championship in which national teams race identical supercharged F50 catamarans on some of the world’s most famous harbours. Rolex’s partnerships with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, New York Yacht Club, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Royal Malta Yacht Club, Royal Yacht Squadron and Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, among others, are the foundation of its enduring relationship with this dynamic sport.