Sailing: Baltimore Sailing Club's Maria Coleman was walking tall this week after she was presented with the Cork Dry Gin Sailor of the year award at a function in the Jameson Distillery in Dublin.
The Europe class Olympian is the first woman to take this relatively new title, which confirms her as a figurehead for Irish Sailing.
Her nomination was based on a first for Irish Sailing: as the highest ranked Irish sailor ever in any Olympic class, she has held a top six ranking for almost one year.
Although yesterday's ISAF world rankings show a small slip from second to third overall in her class, her path to Athens 2004 has over two years to run.
While Coleman now ranks third and triple Olympian Mark Mansfield retains his fourth place in the Star class, the range of nominees for this week's awards reflects the vast array of disciplines outside the elite ranks.
Twelve other sailors received Sailor of the Month awards, as featured in Afloat magazine during 2001.
Last January featured John Gore-Grimes, whose voyage on his 44 ft Arctic Fern took him to Mkforiya in the icy wastes of Northern Russian waters. In spite of a bureaucratic attempt to prevent the completion of the original plan, the Howth-based adventurer was eventually awarded the Irish Cruising Club Faulkner Cup.
Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) navigator Ian Moore of Carrickfergus was absent at the awards on Tuesday due to his commitments with Illbruck, for which he was awarded the February title. The VOR fleet is on its second Southern Ocean Leg where Team SEB became the latest casualty in an eventful race when they were dismasted yesterday 1,250 miles from Cape Horn.
Sean Reidy of New Ross, the CEO who co-ordinated the £4 million Dunbrody famine replica ship project, was the March winner.
April saw a double-award for Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Tim Goodbody and Commodore Fintan Cairns.
During 2001, the club took delivery of a new 33 ft dedicated flagship while Goodbody created an innovative new course system that allows for straight-forward setting of 24 different race courses for every 15 degrees of wind direction.
Colm Barrington has proven himself a worthy winner of previous awards as, arguably, Ireland's most prolific big boat sailor. In 2000 it was for his record-breaking Round Ireland Race victory; in May 2001 he was awarded for a string of successes on his Corby 38-footer Gloves Off.
Mansfield featured again in June, though not for his Olympic achievments. This time it was for winning the 1720 National Championships against the odds in a talent-packed 32-boat fleet.
Ronan Grealish, meanwhile, won the July title for a whirlwind campaign on board Galway-based Joggernaut, which saw him taking second overall in the Sovereign's Cup Class One, and for recording a victory in the 280-mile Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race.
Peter Bayly and William Atkinson of Lough Derg YC became local celebrities and national heroes for their victory in the Mirror World Championships at Howth in August. To counteract their non-tidal home waters experience, the pair practised throughout last winter in preparation for the championship.
Another Howth sailor and rival to Barrington's record in offshore sailing won the September title. Roy Dickson and his crew on Cracklin' Rosie form one of the most enduring teams in these waters. Their award this time was for winning Class Zero's B Division of the classic Fastnet Race.
Another long-distance adventurer took the October title for a remarkable voyage through the ice-bound Northwest Passage north of Canada and Alaska on board the 47-foot Mayo-based cutter Northabout. Owned and skippered by Jarlath Cunnane, it was Paddy Barry who led the expedition, and both men shared the award.
Last year's season ended on another high when the Irish Disabled Sailing Association's Feargal Kinsella defeated a host of sailing stars to win the Champion of Champions event at Howth.
By keeping a cool head throughout the final series of the weekend event, Kinsella went on to a historic win which has fuelled a continued campaign towards the Paralympic Games in 2004.
Not surprisingly, the December award went to Coleman.
