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TQ3 Navigant Sailor of the Year 2005 Finalist Nominees were:

• Charles St Clair BROWN and Bill BUCKLEY
  Maximus, RNZYS
• Sharon FERRIS
  Bay of Islands Yacht Club
• Ray HASLAR
  Kerikeri Cruising Club
• Hamish PEPPER
  RNZYS

HASLAR's name will be added to the Sir Bernhard Fergusson Trophy sitting alongside the likes of Sir Peter BLAKE, Barbara KENDALL, Grant DALTON and Team New Zealand. It is over 40 years since the trophy was first ever presented and the title represents the best of the best in New Zealand sailing recognizing achievement and service in the sport. HASLAR was surprised and delighted.

HASLAR raced his 35 foot keeler, Jive Talkin to win the 2005 Auckland to Fiji yacht race setting a new record for blue water racing in this country. HASLAR and Jive Talkin have now taken out New Zealand's major annual offshore race four times since 2001, while HASLAR himself has skippered a consecutive five wins from five since 2001 on board Northern Rebel in the 2004 race to Noumea.

Jive Talkin was the star of the show in the 2005 Auckland to Fiji in what was the 50th anniversary of the race. The 35 footer, designed by Laurie DAVIDSON, appeared out of the fog to cross the Suva finish line only an hour after BLAKE's former Whitbread maxi, Lion New Zealand.

Eighth boat into Suva, they took out the race in both ORC Club and PHRF handicap divisions. HASLAR has a long and illustrious sailing career, ranging from double-handed dinghy sailing through to offshore racing; his victory in this year's race yet another to add to his list.

HASLAR took TQ3 Navigant Sailor of the Year over three other finalist nominees all of whom have achieved significant results in their particular fields in the past year. Also from Northland, Sharon FERRIS lead a newly formed crew to a silver medal at the Yngling World Championships in Austria this year and was part of the winning crew aboard Doha in the Oryx Round the World Quest.

Charles St Clair BROWN and Bill BUCKLEY were nominated for the international results they have achieved on board their kiwi designed and built super-maxi, Maximus. This year they won the Trans-Atlantic Race and took line honours in the Fastnet race. Also nominated was America's Cup sailor Hamish PEPPER for a string of successes in World Championship keelboat racing.

Paul SNOW-HANSEN along with Ben AINSLIE © Yachting New Zealand

• Peter BURLING
  Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club
• Carl EVANS
  Kohimarama Yacht Club
• Bruce KENNEDY
  Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club
• Andrew MALONEY
  Kerikeri Cruising Club
• Blair MCLAY
  Torbay Sailing Club
• New Zealand Optimist Team to the World Championships 2005
  Luke DEEGAN, Carl EVANS, Jason SAUNDERS, Paul SNOW-HANSEN and Daniel WILLCOX
• Paul SNOW-HANSEN
  Wakatere Boating Club

Competition was extremely tough in the Young Sailor of the Year category for 2005. SNOW-HANSEN took the title over the six other finalist nominees which included BURLING of Tauranga and Splash sailor MALONEY from Kerikeri.

'I know from very good sources, that the selection panel had a difficult task to select from this outstanding talent,' announced Master of Ceremonies Peter MONTGOMERY, before going on to reveal that the winner was SNOW-HANSEN who comes from Wakatere Boating Club in Auckland.

SNOW-HANSEN was the first to claim the 'triple crown' of Junior Sailing by winning three major titles in the same season. He added the Optimist National Championship title over the Easter weekend to his wins in the Tanner Cup and Tauranga Cup at New Year. SNOW-HANSEN won the Optimist Nationals in Taipa, Northland a convincing eight points clear of second, clinching the top spot with one race still to sail.

He claims the Young Sailor of the Year for the second time after being a crucial part of the New Zealand Optimist Team 2004 who were joint winners of the title a year ago.

Yachting New Zealand Merit Awards went to six individuals and teams for performances over the past year. Two teams to be presented with the Award of Merit are the New Zealand Optimist Team of 2005 and Team Inspiration, who claimed the Yngling World Championship 2005 silver medal.

BROWN and BUCKLEY of the Maximus project received a Merit Award as did three New Zealand Laser representatives for the recent results at the World Championships in Brazil. Andrew MURDOCH won bronze in the Open class, Murray THOM took out the Laser Masters World Championship title and Dr Mark ORAMS won the Laser Radial Apprentice Master division.

14 Yachting New Zealand Honour Awards were presented at the Ceremony to a list with representatives from around New Zealand. The Award goes to those who have demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship or services to yachting at Club, Regional, National or International Level. All of those to receive the Award are highly regarded within their respective Clubs who are grateful for the opportunity to formally recognize their work.

Glenn and Judy BARTLETT from Panmure Yacht Club were the sole recipients of the Yachting New Zealand Cruising Award for 2005.