Ireland
Cork Dry Gin Sailor of the Year
Fastnet sailor Ger O'Rourke of Limerick crowned Dry Gin Sailor of the Year 2007
Model Sarah Kavanagh with Cork Dry Gin Sailor of the Year winner Gerrard O'Rouke,Ireland's top sailor was crowned Cork Dry Gin Sailor of the Year
ABN Amro 1
Ger O'Rourke's clear-cut victory in the Fastnet Race was awarded the Cork Dry Gin Sailor of the Year award by Emma Donnellan.
Twenty three leading names from dinghy and offshore circuits, were in the running for the big prize after individual and crew performances that had already earned Cork Dry Gin awards from Irish watersports magazine, Afloat, and the Irish Independent. The presentation ceremony was hosted by the Morrison Hotel.
Cork Dry Gin Sailor of the Year for 2006, Ger O'Rourke of Limerick had an even better year in 2007, and in August he crowned it with an overall and clear cut victory in the Fastnet Race with his superbly-campaigned Cookson 50 from Limerick.
O'Rourke's epic win has been hailed as one of the most important offshore results ever achieved by an Irish sailor.
As a result O¹Rourke is the first to be awarded the Sailor of the Year award trophy twice.
Each monthly recipient was presented with a handmade ceramic piece designed by artist Michele Hannan. A special International Award was also presented to Carsten Hvid of Denmark who skippered the Viking Ship, The Sea Stallion, from Denmark to Dublin.
Along with O'Rourke many talented sailors were among the monthly winners and present at the ceremony to receive their awards for their individual achievements were:
Full list of 2007 Award winners:-
January, Colm Barrington Royal Irish YC, Dublin February, Carmel Winkelmann National YC, Dublin March, Pat & Olivia Murphy, Howth YC, Dublin April, David Harte, Schull SC, Cork May, Conor Phelan, Royal Cork YC, Cork June, Tyrrell family (Arklow SC) & John Twomey (Kinsale YC) July, Vincent Gaffney (Howth YC, Dublin) Ted Keelan & Fergus O¹Sullivan (Royal St. George YC, Dublin) August, Ger O'Rourke Kilrush YC, Clare, Eric Lisson, Royal Cork YC, Cork September, Captain Michael Coleman, Cobh, Nicholas O¹Leary Royal Cork YC, Cork and Eamon Conneely, Galway Bay SC October, Stefan Hyde, Royal Cork YC, Cork November, Con Murphy & Cathy MacAleavey, National YC, Dublin December, Ron Holland, Kinsale YC
The Cork Dry Gin Sailor of the Year Awards were created in 1996 and represents all that is praiseworthy, innovative and groundbreaking in the Irish sailing scene. A panel of sailing journalists and administrators selected the winner.
Cork Dry Gin has a long and established relationship with the sport of sailing in Ireland, aside from being a favourite tipple of the sailing community Cork Dry Gin has supported and nurtured many sailing events over the year
