The wait for the announcement of the nominees for the 2011 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award is over. ISAF received the nominations from all over the world for the 2011 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award from all branches of the sport. The 2011 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award will be awarded to sailors according to their achievements attained during the qualifying period of 1st September, 2010 and 31st August, 2011. This also included the performance of the sailors in the Australia world champion and Nathan Outteridge. For both categories of male and female awards there can only be one winner. The female nominees include Dee Caffari (Great Britain), Sarah-Quita Offringa (Aruba), Alexandra Rickham (Great Britain) and Anna Tunnicliffe (United States of America). The male nominees include Ben Ainslie (GBR), Lorenzo Bressani (Italy), Rob Douglas (USA), Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez (Spain) and Nathan Outteridge (Australia).

As far as the female nominees for the 2011 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award is concerned, British sailor Dee Caffari listed herself once again in the Barcelona World Race. Dee Caffari along with her co-skipper Anna Corbella sailed continuously around the world in the IMOCA60 GAES Centros Auditivos. After 102 days of grueling sailing session, Dee Caffari and her team finished sixth in the tournament. With this landmark, Dee Caffari became the only woman sailor in the world to sail continuously all around the world for the third time. She completed her first circumnavigation in the year 2005 after she skippered a team in the Global Challenge yacht race which was a 10 month stop-over race with an amateur crew sailed against the prevailing winds and currents.

Sarah-Quita Offringa (Aruba) won the World Champion title in the Professional Windsurfing Association. She bagged the title twice in the same year which is truly exceptional. At a mere age of 20, Sarah-Quita Offringa (Aruba) is the PWA Women’s Slalom World Champion and the PWA Women’s Freestyle World Champion. Alexandra Rickham from Great Britain won her third consecutive IFDS Disabled Sailing World title in the two-person keelboat, SKUD18 in 2011. A few weeks later, she clinched the 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup title with a series score of 78 from a maximum 80 points available. In 2011, American sailor Anna Tunnicliffe returned home from a regatta only for two times without a medal. She is the 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion in Women’s Match Racing and the 2011 Snipe Women’s world champion.

Talking about the male participants, British Sailor Ben Ainslie won the ISAF Match Racing World Championship after winning three regattas of the nine-stage 2010 World Match Racing Tour. Team Origin led by Ben Ainslie won the final two stages, the Argo Group Gold Cup in Bermuda and the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia to grab the world title. His consistent performance has kept him at the top of the ISAF World Match Race Rankings throughout the period. Lorenzo Bressani from Italy is a Melges 24 and Melges 32 world champion. Rob Douglas from USA is often known as the fastest man on the water. On 28 October, 2011 Rob Douglas became one of five kiteboarders to break the previous record of the fastest sailor held by the trimaran L’Hydroptère. He did it by the biggest margin, more than four knots, setting a new record of 55.65 knots or 103.1 kilometres per hour. Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez (Spain) have raced together since 1999. They made their name in the 49er fleet and since 2005 have risen to prominence in offshore sailing as well. Australian sailor Nathan Outteridge posted top 12 finishes at no less than five different class world championships just before the nominations.

Mark Blundell (GB) and Zak Brown (USA) recorded a seventh place finish in the opening season of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series by Crown Royal Cask No.16 season, 2011. On September 17th, 2011, Mark Blundell and Zak Brown grabbed the seventh position in the season finale of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series by Crown Royal Cask No.16. The Anglo-American duo brought their team with Michael Shank Racing no. 23 Ford-Riley home, just 5.157secs behind the EMCO Gears Classic race champions at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the opening season of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.

In the 2.258 mile long and thirteen-turn Mid-Ohio road course, Mark Blundell of Great Britain stepped ahead of one place to fourth in the opening season of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Thereafter he moved to third place at the re-start of the full course caution on 20 minutes before pitting in his partner Zak Brown during a second caution period. Zak Brown was already down with fever during this crucial racing stint. Mark Blundell came back in the no. 23 Riley-Ford and reached the 11th position after the race’s third caution on 51 minutes. He reached the fourth place on the completion 90 minutes. Mark Blundell had gone down by three places when he moved to seventh position on the same lap with just over an hour to run before making a final pit-stop during another caution period after which he resumed the ninth position, but was at the tail of a three-car dice for fourth place with 50mins remaining in the race.

He pushed the no. 23 to the fifth position at the re-start of another caution where the top -five contestants were running nose to tail, before an eighth and final caution bunched the 29-car field for a final three minute dash to the checker which saw Mark Blundell again go down by two places to seventh after being nudged of the track in the closing laps.

United Autosports has reached the 13th position in the Team’s standings in spite of contesting only four races in the 12-race Rolex calendar. Previously, the United Autosports recorded a fourth position in the 12-race Rolex calendar after the Rolex 24 at Daytona, sixth after the Grand Prix of Miami and ninth position in the Canadian Tire 200 at the Glen. The upcoming races this year include the penultimate round of the British GT Championship at Donington Park (England) starting from September 25th, 2011, American Le Mans Series debut at Road Atlanta (USA) on October 1st, final round of the BGT at Silverstone (England) on October 9th, final two FIA GT3 European Championship races, Zandvoort (Netherlands), October 15th -16th and finally Macau GT Cup (China) starting from November 20th.

The Rolex sponsored 2011 New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup saw an exciting piece of sporting action on its first day. Starting strong in the championship, the Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) team has taken the lead on finishes of 2-1-4. In total there were three races and three winners with a 22-boat fleet in the 2011 New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup presented by Rolex. Ten umpires were conducted for the mega event. They were divided in two teams who had to work hard for the intense action on the very first day of the Rolex sponsored 2011 New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup. All the teams were racing in upper region of the Narragansett Bay which lies in the northern side of Newport’s Pell Bridge. The competitors got down to business in roughly 10 knots of southwesterly breeze, which built through the afternoon to a south-westerly in the upper teens. This helped the teams in getting an instant idea about their positions and also due to the presence of the umpires on the spot helped in keeping everything on the track.

The Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) team was placed second in the year 2009. 8 out of the ten crews of the RCYC team took part in the tournament in the 2009. This also included helm Terry McLaughlin, a silver medalist in the 1984 Olympic Games and skipper of Canada I in the 1983 America’s Cup Trials. RCYC will fly the Rolex gold spinnaker, indicating their position as they lead in the overall standings, when racing resumed in Wednesday, September 14.  They hold the lead position with seven points, followed by Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club who had finishes of 3-8-2, for 13 points, and defending champion New York Yacht Club who had finishes of 4-2-8 for 14 points.  The Japan Sailing Federation won the opening race of the series and followed with 7-9 for 17 points for fourth place overall and Eastern Yacht Club rounds out the top-five, tied on 17 points, after finishes of 6-5-6.

On the other hand, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia CYCA team registered their win in third race. Tactician for Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) Evan Walker said they didn’t get a good start and so they saved their position as soon as they could.  He said that his team had a look up the course and because the tide was going out they thought they would put their bets on the right-hand side at the top.  Thus the team went across everyone’s stern on port and went to the right where they got a big shift and rounded in third or fourth.  Just that right shift got the team into the race again. CYCA positioned well on the first run, rounded the first bottom gate in second or third and played that next bit well and rounded in first. The final race of the day was won by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia after placing 8-11, to stand seventh overall with 20 points.

In the forthcoming Navistar LPGA Classic, the tournament will feature 11 of the world’s top women golfers in the world Rolex rankings. Among the top 15 players in the world Rolex rankings, No.1 Rolex woman golfer of the world Yani Tseng along with No. 2 Suzann Pettersen, No. 9 Brittany Lincicome, No. 11 Stacy Lewis, No. 13 Karrie Webb, No. 14 Inbee Park, No. 3 Christie Kerr, No. 4 Na Yeon Choi, No. 8 Paula Creamer, No. 12 Michelle Wie and No. 10 I.K. Kim. The event will take place in the in Montgomery, Alabama and will be sponsored by Monaco RV. A huge pool of 144 quality golf players will take part in this grand tournament. All the players will be fighting out for the mammoth prize money of $1,300,000 in total and a first place prize of   $195,000. The event was flagged off this Thursday on the Robert Trent Jones Trail’s Capitol Hill Senator Course. After winning the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P & amp; G, Rolex world No.1 Yani Tseng is all set for another feather in her hat in her winning streak this year. Yani Tseng said that she is looking forward to win her sixth LPGA tournament and ninth tournament victory worldwide this year itself.

Navistar LPGA Classic is the final tournament before the start of the biennial Solheim Cup which scheduled to start next week at Killeen Castle in Ireland. All the 12 players of the USA Solheim Cup team and 12 European Solheim Cup members will be participating in the upcoming Solheim Cup. All of them are also participating in the Navistar LPGA Classic tournament. On Wednesday, Sandra   Gal and Maria Hjorth – two of the players from the European team and three players from the American team - Paula Creamer,

Christina Kim and Michelle Wie addressed a press conference to step into the event. Among all the above five players who faced the media on Wednesday, Sandra   Gal will participate for the first time in Solheim Cup. On the other hand, Maria Hjorth will participate for the fifth time in this tournament. Also, this Solheim Cup will be the third stint for Christina Kim and the second one for Michelle Wie.

Michelle Wie was a rookie in the 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup team. This year’s Solheim Cup will be her first time when she will be playing in event overseas. She is quite familiar with the fact about what the three U.S. rookies (Stacy Lewis, Ryann O’Toole and Vicky Hurst) will go through when they participate in the tournament. In the last five years of the Solheim Cup, the Americans have dominated except one year (in 2003). This year too, the members of the US team are the favorites.

The second largest regatta in the history of racing, the 2011 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will start today. The 2011 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is the most anticipated and the most exciting regattas of all time. With a multi-national fleet of 47 strong teams, the 2011 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is all set for an extravagant week ahead. The multi-national crews have already arrived after participating in some starkly contrasting seasons. After the Giraglia Rolex Cup and the Rolex Fastnet Race, the 2011 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup participants will be involved in another grueling and exciting sailing experience. The preliminary races leading to the grand regatta of the 2011 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has been less strenuous and the sole focus of all teams to arrive in Porto Cervo. Most of the teams are aiming to immerse themselves in some of the most tantalizing courses and scenery that penetrate the Costa Smeralda.

The regatta will start from 6th September and will culminate on 10th September, 2011. The number of participants in this season has gone a little from 49 to 47. Still, this is supposed to be another impressive gathering for the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), event organizer, in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA). The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup comprises a maximum of eight races, with a scheduled minimum of four windward/leeward races and two coastal races for a distance of 70-nautical miles. Among the 47 participants in the regatta, 17 of them are Mini Maxis. The other Maxi categories are equally well represented, comprising 21 Maxi yachts (those from 24.09-30.5m) and nine Supermaxis (yachts in excess of 30.5m). A healthy array of 14 Wally yachts is also included in the list. For these classes the maximum number of races is seven,

featuring a selection of coastal and windward/leeward courses. At the more powerful end of the scale, this year’s event boasts two magnificent and gigantic crafts: Albert Buell’s 148-ft Saudade (GER) is which Hasso Plattner’s 147-ft Visione is of an arm’s length larger than compatriot. They enjoyed a fascinating competition last year. Also, competing for the first time is the F-class, one-design Firefly (NED), a 114-ft Supermaxi designed to perform in both heavy and light winds.

The Italian spectators will be cast on the brand-new 101-ft Comet Shadow (ITA), another Supermaxi competitor. Shadow, with a hull and deck designed for fast cruising, comprises twin cockpits, one for sail-control handling and the second for guests to relax. Though her rigging is traditional stainless steel rod, her mast is a racier carbon-fiber structure. The Giraglia Rolex Cup line honors winners are already training in Porto Cervo. USA’s 72-foot Shockwave (USA) finished third at the inaugural Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds. That was under previous owner Neville Crichton.