Those honoured this year will join the likes of 2013 winners Mat Belcher of Australia, and New Zealand's Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, as well as those who have gone before them, such as Britons Sir Ben Ainslie and Ellen MacArthur, Spain's Theresa Zabell and Brazilian Robert Scheidt.

Nominations can be made by anyone and for anyone that has made an "outstanding achievement in the sport of sailing" during the qualifying period of September 1, 2013 to September 21, 2014.

Nominations can also be made in all of the sport's disciplines, from windsurfers, kiteboarders and dinghy sailors to offshore specialists, while a nominee's achievements may be an exceptional series of regatta wins, a record-breaking passage or a triumph against the odds.

This year's World Sailor of the Year Award winners will follow in the footsteps of one of the 2013 winners Mat Belcher ©Getty Images



Once the deadline of September 21 has passed, the sport's world governing body will make a shortlist of nominations, which will go on to become the official ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2014 nominees.

The 140 ISAF member nations will then be able to vote for one male and one female sailor who they believe should win the award.

The winners, who will be presented with the marble and silver globe trophy, crowned with five silver spinnakers representing the continents, and a Rolex timepiece, will be announced at an awards dinner on November 4 in the Spanish city of Palma de Mallorca - the host for this year's ISAF Annual Conference, which is scheduled for November 1 to 8.

Nominations must be made here before 7pm Coordinated Universal Time on September 21.

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