SailGP duo Tom Slingsby and Hannah Mills win top prizes at Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards

SailGP athletes Tom Slingsby and Hannah Mills were both awarded the top prizes at the 2021 Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards on Thursday, December 2.

Slingsby, the Australia Driver, claimed 29 per cent of the male vote after an impressive year which sees his team - who also won the Season 1 championship in 2019 - currently lead the SailGP leaderboard with just two events to go.

He also defended the Moth World Championship with 13 wins out of 14, and was part of the winning crew for the 2021 Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Speaking following his win, Slingsby said: "This is a huge honour for me. Thank you to everyone who voted. I remember when I was 15 years old, I wrote down my career goals and it was to win the Olympic Gold medal, win the America's Cup and win World Sailor of the Year. I am very fortunate, this is the second time I have won the World Sailor of the Year award.

"I am so lucky to be in the position I am and to get these amazing opportunities. Congratulations to all the other guys, there were some unbelievable sailors nominated this year."

Mills, who is part of Ben Ainslie's Great Britain SailGP Team, won the female award along with her Olympic partner Eilidh McIntyre, following their gold medal in the 470 class at this summer's games in Tokyo.

Mills, who also won gold at Rio 2016, has been part of SailGP's Women's Pathway Program this season, and made her racing debut on the F50 at our previous event in Cadiz, Spain.

She was onboard with the British team as they qualified for the three-team Final in Cadiz, only to capsize in tough conditions with Slingsby's Australia going on to claim victory.

Mills and McIntyre claimed 37 per cent of the female vote, with a record-breaking 40,000 votes cast for this year's awards.