Stacey Jackson and Matt Wearn OAM OLY have been awarded Female and Male Sailor of the Year at the 2026 Australian Sailing Awards held in Sydney. Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club achieved a historic back-to-back win for Club of the Year – Category A.
This past year marked a significant milestone for women in sailing, highlighted by Jackson’s victory over fellow finalists Jiang Lin, the first woman to lead an overall winner in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, and 2025 Australian Female Sailor of the Year Zoe Thomson OLY. Jackson made history as part of the first all-female crew to complete a non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the globe, finishing in 57 days, 21 hours, and 20 minutes.
Reflecting on her accomplishment, Jackson expressed immense pride in receiving the award, especially for her efforts in the Jules Verne Trophy, stating the recognition for offshore sailing is something she cherishes.
On the men’s side, Wearn earned the Male Sailor of the Year title for the fourth time, following a triumphant return to ILCA sailing. He dominated the season, winning three Grand Slam events and securing his seventh Australian National Championship title, sharing that the unique nature of this year’s success made it particularly special.
2026 Australian Sailing Award Winners
Female Sailor of the Year – Stacey Jackson (Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, QLD)
Male Sailor of the Year – Matt Wearn OAM OLY (Royal Perth Yacht Club/Fremantle Sailing Club/Australian Sailing Team, WA)
Team of the Year – Kairos Racing (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, NSW/ACT)
Para Sailor of the Year – Genevieve Wickham (Royal Perth Yacht Club, WA)
Noakes Group Male Youth Sailor of the Year – Rory Meehan (Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron/Australian Sailing Squad, QLD)
Noakes Group Female Youth Sailor of the Year – Mia Austin and Zara Marks (Woollahra Sailing Club, NSW/ACT)
Coach of the Year – Rafael Trujillo OLY (Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron/Australian Sailing Team, QLD)
Club of the Year – Category A – Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (WA)
Club of the Year – Category B – Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club (SA)
Innovation Award – Southport Yacht Club – Summer on the Lake (Southport Yacht Club, QLD)
Instructor of the Year – Ian Fox (Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, VIC)
Official of the Year – Malcolm Hughes (Adelaide Sailing Club, SA)
SheSails Award – South Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta (Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia, SA)
Sport Professional Award – Greg Rowlings (Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, TAS)
Sport Promotion Award – Sail Port Stephens (Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, NSW/ACT)
Volunteer of the Year – Emma Hooper (Sandy Bay Sailing Club, TAS)
Australian Sailing extends heartfelt congratulations to all 2026 Australian Sailing Awards recipients, acknowledging their significant contributions to the sport and the broader sailing community.
Source: Michael Martin – Australian Sailing
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