US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics yachtswoman, Anna Tunnicliffe, received the prestigious ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award last week. The multi-disciplined sailor, who also won in 2009, was presented the award by HM King Constantine of Greece at a gala ceremony during the International Sailing Federation’s Annual Conference in Puerto Rico.
“We are so proud of Anna’s consistently inspiring performances on the water,” said Kevin Cushing, CEO of AlphaGraphics, Inc., title sponsor of the US Sailing Team. “Her team’s dedication, hard work and commitment to excellence parallel our vision as a network of business owners, and we’re grateful to support Anna as an ambassador for US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics.”
Anna skippers the “Team Maclaren” match racing team, along with crew Molly Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi. The 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist has had an impressive year of sailing, with most of her accomplishments coming in Women’s Match Racing, which will make its Olympic debut at the 2012 Olympic Games.
In October, Team Maclaren won the 2011 US Olympic Team Qualifying Regatta, the first of two selection events to determine the US representatives to the US Olympic Team in Women's Match Racing. Currently ranked #1 on the ISAF World Match Race rankings, Tunnicliffe, Vandemoer and Capozzi won the overall gold medal for the 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup season after collecting three World Cup medals: gold at Skandia Sail for Gold, bronze at Princess Sofia Trophy and silver at US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR.
The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award is the highest award a sailor can receive in the sport. Winners are selected based on a worldwide selection process that includes an open invitation to nominations, followed by a vote cast by the 130 member nations of ISAF.
