CYA REPORT
CYA Celebrates Its 2010 Sailors
of the Year
at the First Annual Rolex Gala
ROLEX SAILOR OF THE YEAR
The Rolex Sailor of the Year Award, CYA’s
most prestigious award, is presented
annually to a Canadian sailor for bringing recognition to Canadian sailing and
the Canadian Yachting Association
(CYA).
The award was first presented in
1986 to America’s Cup supporter Paul
Phelan, who successfully organized a
merger between Canada’s top 12-meter
syndicates.
Fred Eaton is not just a very accomplished sailor. You can add designer,
builder, engineer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and an all round good guy to his
long list of accomplishments. Already a
winner of the 2009 C-class World
Championship, the work of Fred and his
team was recognized by America’s Cup
winners BMW/Oracle and helped them
with both wing development and how to
sail it. Fred is this year’s recipient of the
Rolex award for his win in the 2010
C-class Championship, beating current
America’s cup winning helm James
Spithill in the process. In contrast to the
secrecy that surrounds the America’s Cup,
C-class Catamaran designers and
builders share almost everything in public forum and debate. Fred takes sportsmanship to levels that we all aspire to,
from helping the British team with shipping to providing boats for his competitors. Fred is a very low-key guy who goes
of his way to help people and doesn’t
want any recognition for it.
CYA’S MALE ATHLETE
OF THE YEAR 2010
Paul Tingley, double paralympian
medalist, continued his winning ways in
2010 culminating in the winning of the
2010 2.4m R Open Worlds in Holland.
Paul also finished the season 2nd in the
ISAF World Cup rankings, having won
both Sail Melbourne and the Miami
Olympic Classes regattas. Paul’s nomina-
tion referred extensively to his role as an
ambassador for the sport of sailing not-
ing his eagerness to help support events
whether it is the Able Sail Awareness
Clinic held here, the Taste of Gold
Fundraising dinner, or the Able Sail
Kingston fundraising event.
CYA’S VOLUNTEER
OF THE YEAR
Tim Irwin presenting to Mike Heseltine at he Rolex Awards Gala.
Mike Heseltine has been an active sailor
and racer since the 1960s and a Race
Officer at the Prince Albert Sailing Club
in Saskatchewan since the 1980s. Since
2002 Mike Heseltine has volunteered to
run 43 regattas. He has been involved
with 4 CYA Sail West’s, 2 Canada Games,
and 2 Western Canada Games/Westerns.
Mike become educated, trained and ultimately certified as a CYA Race Officer
Level 3. Mike Heseltine has also been a
boat builder, a past executive member of
the PA Sailing Club, President with
Saskatchewan Sailing Clubs Association,
as well as holding many other positions
on the Provincial executive.
