Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month Award gets a refresh for 2020.

Sept 12, 2019

Since 2014, Sail Canada has been supported by Helly Hansen to present the Sailor of the Month Award to Canadians involved or associated with the sport in all its forms who have demonstrated an outstanding performance, true sportsmanship, unwavering perseverance or inspiring passion for the sport.

This year, Canadian Yachting OnBoard will present the winners monthly and tell readers about their accomplishments. Helly Hansen, a company that is a strong supporter of Canadian sailing, makes the whole project possible. Besides this project, the brand puts its name on Chester Race Week and supports one of the country’s very few offshore racing teams, Atlas Ocean Racing.

Sophie Boisvert, Marketing Specialist Canada heads up Helly Hansen’s efforts on the Award and has plans to add some upgrades.

CYOB: Sophie, over the years you’ve been behind this award, the lion’s share of the winners have been National Team members or offshore crew. You indicate that will broaden.
Sophie: Yes, absolutely. We still want to highlight outstanding performances and excellence in the sport of sailing but we also want to reward unwavering perseverance, true sportsmanship and inspiring passion for the sport. Some amateur sailors have done so much for the sport by being teachers and mentors to the younger generations.

We also want to uncover those stories, the stories about the sailors who pass on their passion for sailing (and sometimes their boats) and the stories about the new generations who are coming in with dreams of great feats. We also want to talk about the volunteers and professionals that elevate the sport as a whole, day in, day out.

Canada is a huge country and we hope that, among many of our initiatives, the Sailor of the Month Award brings the whole sailing the community together.

CYOB: anyone at any club or fleet can nominate a candidate, correct?

Sophie: Yes, that is correct! Any one, sailor or not, can nominate someone who demonstrated an outstanding performance, true sportsmanship, unwavering perseverance or inspiring passion for the sport.

CYOB: Does it have to be a participant or can judges, coaches, sailing club members, support people etc. win? Judges, coaches, sailing club members and staff can win, of course!

Sail Canada’s HHSOM selection committee is made up of representatives from BC to the Atlantic Coast and Sail Canada staff. All are actively engaged in the activities of Canadian sailors achieving remarkable things in high performance Olympic campaigns, at-home on the local ponds, in Offshore & Professional sailing, day-trips and extended voyages.

Winners of the Award get a $500 gift card that can be used for anything – foul weather gear, sailing footwear, and offshore gear – at https://www.hellyhansen.com/sailing/

You can be part of this. To nominate someone for the HHSOM, click here.