Lisa Westerhof and Lobke Berkhout (NED) Nominated for ISAF Rolex World Sailor of More ...

Double World Champions Lisa Westerhof and Lobke Berkhout (NED) have been nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards by the International Sailing Federation and Rolex.

Lisa and Lobke at the 2010 Worlds

Since pairing up after the 2008 Olympic Games, where Lobke secured a silver medal with previous helm Marcelien de Koning, the new partnership has gone from strength to strength. Both accomplished 470 sailors, either together or with different partners they have stood on the podium at the 470 World championships 6 times over the past nine years, and have two Olympic appearances from 2004 and 2008 between them.

Commenting on the news, Stanislav Kassarov, 470 Class President, said, “Lisa and Lobke have displayed outstanding consistency and peformance delivery since teaming up together. To win the 470 World Championships over two consecutive years is a fantastic achievement. They certainly merit the MNA votes and I hope to be celebrating with them at the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards in Athens on 9 November 2010.”

Team Westerhof Berkhout Achievements
Lisa Westerhof and Lobke Berkhout make a formidable team and although they may not have a long history sailing together they have a talent to make it count when it matters. Teaming up in May 2009, the goal for this team is Olympic gold in 2012.

Westerhof and Berkhout kicked off the nomination period with a win at the 2009 Skandia Sail for Gold before going on to sail at five of the 2009-2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup regattas. Their best World Cup performance was on home waters at Delta Lloyd Regatta where they won the silver medal in May.

And the champagne flowed ..

The main target for this team in 2010 was the 470 World Championships at The Hague. The defending champions were set to make history if they could take home another gold medal and in a regatta that threw extreme conditions at the sailors, they showed their class. Going into the Medal Race one point behind the leaders, Westerhof and Berkhout sailed a tactical race to secure their gold medal. Two world titles for Westerhof is an exceptional achievement and the 2010 win for Berkhout makes her the most successful 470 sailor in the history of the class with five world titles.

Westerhof combines her sailing career with her professional career as an airline pilot, while Berkhout is dedicated to the future of the sport, working with children around the world to inspire them to take up sailing. Berkhout will be the star attraction at the India International Regatta taking place in October 2010, where she will be a role-model for children who are learning to sail.

Lobke is a a five-time 470 World Champion, having won the 2009 and 2010 Worlds with Lisa, and the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Worlds with Marcelien de Koning.

At the front at the start

Speaking on her nomination, Lobke said, “It is a great honour to be nominated for this award. Sailing is such a big and diverse sport around the world, it is an honour to be one of those selected who have achieved something extraordinary in our sport. Winning the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award would be a true recognition for our achievements all across the world. Taking a look at the winners of this prestigious award, these are all legends in our sport. To become one of them is truely an unthinkable recognition to me! “

The Voting
The winners will be selected by the ISAF Member National Authorities, the national governing bodies for sailing, around the world who are now invited to vote for the one male and one female sailor who they believe most deserve the Award.

Victory at the 2010 Worlds

The winners will be announced at the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards presentation and dinner, which will take place on Tuesday 9 November 2010. The venue for the event is the Zappeion in Athens, Greece.
Each winner will be presented with the prestigious ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award Trophy and a distinctive Rolex timepiece.

Other 470 Nominees
Joining Lisa and Lobke as nominees for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards are 470 sailors Mat Belcher and Malcolm Page (AUS) who are shortlisted for the men's Award.

More Information:
ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards website
Team Westerhof Berkhout website

Source: ISAF

Images: © Thoum Touw