University of Southampton graduate Giles Scott has claimed top honours at the British Sailing Team’s annual awards for 2016.
The World and Olympic Champion in the Finn class was named as the Team’s Olympic Classes Sailor of the Year and the overall British Sailing Team Athlete of the Year.
Scott, who graduated in 2008 with a degree in Geology and Geography, also won two awards for displaying the team’s core values of ‘Committed to Excellence’ and ‘Gold Driven’. He is currently on duty with Ben Ainslie Racing, having helped the team clinch the America’s Cup World Series in Japan alongside teammate and fellow Southampton alumnus Paul Campbell-James, a 2004 graduate in Ship Science.
Scott’s coach Matt Howard won the team’s ‘Golden Funnel’ award for coaching excellence for a fourth time for his work with Scott and the Finn squad.
Laser sailor Michael Beckett, a 2016 Southampton graduate in Ship Science, was also honoured by the Team. Beckett, the 2015 silver medalist in the Laser Under 21 World Championship, was voted by his peers as the Podium Potential Sailor of the Year.
Stephen Park, Royal Yachting Association Olympic Manager commented:
We’ve had an incredible year taking us to top nation at Rio 2016, but hopefully also one that provides some inspiration for those sailors who are going to drive on now to Tokyo in 2020 and beyond.
