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Date: 18 March, 2011

Opua Man Northland Sailor Of The Year 2010

Opua businessman and yachtie Chris Hornell has been named the Northland Sailor of the Year for 2010.

The 42-year-old Opua Cruising Club member and owner of the Bay of Islands Marine Centre was nominated for the annually presented Northland Regional Council award by the Northland Yachting Association.

Northland Regional Council Chairman Craig Brown says in nominating Mr Hornell, the yachting association had described him as ‘a popular, top-performing sailor and a good club man who is a great ambassador for the sport’.

An experienced off-shore competitor, Mr Hornell’s more recent achievements included participating in last year’s Auckland to Denerau (Fiji) yacht race, where his 12-metre yacht ‘Revs’ was the first fully-crewed vessel to finish on handicap.

He has also competed in 20 Coastal Classic (Auckland to Russell) yacht races and was second overall under the IRC handicapping system in the 2010 Bay of Islands Sailing Week regatta early last year.

Mr Hornell says he feels very privileged to receive an award that has not only been held by some great sportspeople, but many others who had also given a lot of energy to the sport.

He intends to continue that tradition and has already been asked to visit local schools to show pupils the trophy and chat to them about yachting.

Mr Brown says the trophy Mr Hornell received at a ceremony in Kaikohe this week (subs: Tues 15 March) was first presented by the now defunct Whangarei Harbour Board in 1964.

Originally known as the ‘Northland Blue Water Trophy’, it was rededicated the Northland Sailor of the Year trophy in 1995 by the Northland Regional Council.

The Sailor of the Year award can be made “for all or any acts or services, which either directly or indirectly have the effect of promotion, advancement or betterment of the sport of yachting”.

These include:

• Design and building of boats.
• Administrative services to the sport on a regular basis
• Outstanding examples of seamanship or sailing ability in both competitive and non-competitive spheres.
• Outstanding examples of sportsmanship.
• Services in the promotion and encouragement of active participation in the sport of yachting.

Caption for electronic image ‘Chris Hornell Sailor of Yr 2010 - 20110315’
Northland Sailor of the Year 2010 Chris Hornell pictured in Opua with the trophy awarded to him by the Northland Regional Council this week. (subs: Tues 15 March)

ENDS

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