International Experts named as Judges for the 2026 World Sailing Awards

The panel, featuring leading figures with backgrounds in competitive sailing, sustainability, and maritime industries, will review all entries and select shortlists across all award categories.  

The shortlists will be announced on 26 October 2026. 

Once announced, the shortlists will be opened to a public vote to help decide the winners alongside the judging panel. The winners will be celebrated at a live award ceremony in Qingdao, China, on 18 November 2026, as part of the 2026 World Sailing Annual Conference.  

2026 World Sailing Awards Categories 

The 2026 ceremony will honour successes on and off the water, celebrating innovation, achievement, and commitment to the sport across the following categories: 

• Rolex World Sailor of the Year awards (male and female)
• Young World Sailor of the Year awards (male and female)
• The 11th Hour Racing Impact Award
• Team of the Year
• Beppe Croce Trophy and President’s Development Award – special honours determined by the World Sailing Board and President.

Meet the Judges

• Julie Duffus: An experienced sustainability professional, Julie currently leads on sustainability at the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Her focus is on challenging strategies, management and strategic social, environmental, economic and ethical advice for a wide variety of international projects.  She also works as a relationship manager with UN agencies and has a thorough understanding of how institutions, economies and environments influence sustainable development and the adaptability of communities to both environmental and political change.   

• Nuno Gomes: A passionate sailor, geologist, university lecturer and responsible for the Environmental Engineering Graduation at Universidade Católica de Angola, Nuno is also a board member at engineering and environment consulting company SOAPRO S.A in Angola where he is responsible for the renewable energy and environment projects. He is also a member of the Angolan National Olympic Committee, Vice President of the Angolan Nautical Sports Federation, Vice President of the African Sailing Confederation, and a member of the World Sailing Sustainability Commission.   

• Andy Rice: Andy Rice has won championships as a helm and crew in many skiffs and dinghies including the 49er and International 14 classes. As a sailing journalist, he has reported on every major event from the Olympics to the America’s Cup, The Ocean Race and the Vendée Globe. Currently he travels on the SailGP circuit and reports on major offshore projects such as Ferrari Hypersail and Gitana 18. Andy writes for The Athletic and New York Times, and is a roving reporter, podcaster and YouTuber for a new media channel which started in January 2026, The Foil.

• David Hughes: Dave Hughes is a six-time keelboat world champion with over 20 national and North American wins in classes like the J/70, J/24, Etchells, J/24 and more. However, in the small boat universe the two-time Olympian and former US Olympic Team coach is best known for his dinghy credentials in boats like the 49er, 505, and 470 in which he has posted world, European, and World Cup titles. When not competing, Dave gives back to the sport as Vice President of World Sailing and chair of the governing body’s Athletes’ Committee.

• Lisa Darmanin:Lisa Darmanin is an Australian Olympic silver medallist, World Championship silver medallist, and four-time Australian Female Sailor of the Year. Competing in the mixed multihull Nacra 17 class alongside her cousin and long-time teammate Jason Waterhouse, she established herself as one of the world’s elite foil-catamaran sheet hands over more than a decade at the international level. Following her Olympic campaign career, Darmanin expanded her footprint into sports broadcast commentary, public speaking, and ocean conservation advocacy, regularly lending her voice to environmental initiatives and leadership programmes for women in sport.

• Kimberly Lim:Kimberly Lim Min is a Singaporean sailor, Asian Games gold medallist, and Tokyo 2020 Olympian. After winning gold at the 2011 Optimist World Championships, she went on to win gold in the 420 at the 2014 Asian Games and in the U18 category at the 420 World Championships. Following this up with 49erFX gold at the 2018 Asian Games. Competing in the double-handed 49erFX class alongside her long-time crewmate Cecilia Low, Lim made history for Singapore by becoming part of the first Singaporean sailing team to reach an Olympic medal race.

• Alessandra Franchi:Alessandra Franchi is an accomplished Italian para sailor competing internationally in the Hansa 303 class. A medallist at the Hansa World Championships and World Sailing Inclusion Championships, she has established herself as a leading competitor and advocate for inclusion in sailing. Alongside her sporting career, Alessandra has a background in economics and management from Luiss University in Rome, where she has pursued postgraduate studies in Strategic Management. Her international racing experience and commitment to inclusivity in the sport bring a valuable perspective to the World Sailing Awards judging panel.

• Michelle Carnevale:Michelle is the President of 11th Hour Racing, leading the organisation’s operations and programmatic teams. Prior to joining 11th Hour Racing, Michelle spent six years at the University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center, working on the state climate change adaptation plan and developing state policy and best practices for offshore wind energy development. She also taught marine science for a number of ocean-focused and sailing organisations. She holds a B.S. in Marine Ecology from Cornell University, an MBA, and an M.A. in Marine Affairs/Coastal Management from the University of Rhode Island.

• Santiago Lange: A previous winner of Rolex World Sailor of the Year in 2016, Argentinian Olympic sailor and naval architect, Santiago has represented his country at the Olympic Games seven times over 32 years, winning a gold and two bronze Olympic medals, along with winning four world champion titles. His gold medal at Rio 2016 was made even more remarkable after a battle with lung cancer in 2015. He has also competed in The Ocean Race and America’s Cup.   

For more details about the World Sailing Awards and instructions on how to vote, visit the World Sailing website.  

The World Sailing Annual Conference is supported by the Chinese Yachting Association and the Shandong Administration of Sports. The local organisers include Qingdao Sports Training Center of Shandong Province, Qingdao Municipal Sports Bureau, Qingdao Tourism Group Co., Ltd., and Qingdao Yachting Association.