Northern Territory Sailing Awards 2023 - Winners Announced
NT VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Kirsty Sheehy from Gove Boat Club
Kitty has made an outstanding contribution to the Gove Sailing Committee and Gove community. She has volunteered uncountable hours towards ensuring that sailing in the area is accessible to anyone and that there are continuing opportunities for people of all skill levels to learn and get involved. She has given up numerous weekends and free time towards creating sailing opportunities for people in the area.
As the chair of the Sailing Committee & Rear Commodore she coordinates every activity, from administration, to maintenance & logistics, communication, creating events fundraising. She has made multiple trips to Darwin since taking on her role a few years ago to ensure our club training remains current and up to date with training & governance standards.
There just would not be any sailing in East Arnhem if it wasn’t for Kitty!
During the most recent start crewing course she encouraged and arranged for a young Yolngu participant to join, this could be the first time a remote Indigenous youth has ever completed such a course. He continues to be a part of the club and helps at the club when he can.
Kitty is inclusive of everyone and her passion for sailing is obvious, we are all so grateful for her contribution. Her dedication is to be admired and appreciated.
Nominated by Rachel Godley
NT SPORTS PROFESSIONAL AWARD
Alanna Field from Darwin Sailing Club
Alanna moved to Darwin from Geelong in 2018 as a seasonal instructor at the Darwin Sailing Club. Since this time, she has progressed through a variety of roles within the club in Marketing and Administration and is currently the Training Academy Manager.
Since taking on her current role in 2021, Alanna has developed the Training Academy with spectacular results whilst struggling with staffing challenges. Alanna’s commitment and the ability to seamlessly transition through the role of administrator, marketing, instructor & coach has played a large part in the success that has been seen by the Academy in recent years.
Alanna has worked hard to develop strong relationships with community groups such as schools, youth diversion, Defence & disability groups. This has resulted in an increase in participation across group programs from 133 to 747 (561%) and overall participation in Training Academy programs has grown from 402 to 1249, a whopping 310% increase in the last two and a half seasons. The DSC Training Academy now operates 7 days a week across 3 locations with the only challenge to further growth being resourcing.
In addition to improving participation Alanna has worked tirelessly to develop a suite of development and transition programs to increase club sailors and improve retention of learn to sail participants in club sailing.
In 2021, Alanna created the Junior Sail Regatta to improve retention of Tackers participants. This regatta is now the biggest sailing event on the DSC calendar and growing each year, and it has a retention rate of 90%!
In 2022, Alanna was instrumental in introducing a new junior class (International Cadets), taking on association duties, building a website, and arranging the sale of boats, the results have been deserving with 5 boats now sailing on a weekly basis in the clubs Development Program.
In the last few years Alanna has been developing an Instructor Development Program (IDP) which currently has 24 junior & youth staff. The IDP has been identified as the most comprehensive, effective, and successful in the country with the blueprint being given to Australian Sailing to share with other clubs to assist them to develop their instructors in the same way.
Alanna has also recently been accredited as a Regional Judge, one of only two in the NT. Alanna is one of three Sailing Coaches and currently the only Senior Dinghy Instructor, Wing Instructor & Foil Coach in the Territory.
Alanna is a dedicated, driven, and passionate person, sailing in the NT has grown in part due to her hard work and determination to expand the profile and opportunities to go sailing. The club would not be in the position it’s in without her onboard.
Nominated by Matthew Dix & DSC Board
NT LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARD
Bob Colman from Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association
Bob started sailing on keelboats in 1987 at the age of 25. Bob took up an invitation to race in the Gulf of St. Vincent and by the end of the day he was hooked! In 1988, Bob competed in his first offshore race, the Adelaide to Port Lincoln, he went on to compete in two more before moving to Darwin in 1991.
Darwin proved to be an ideal place to meet new people and continue sailing. In 1993 Bob competed in his first international yacht race from Darwin to Ambon. Bob has since raced across the Timor Sea many times. Bob competed in his first Sydney to Hobart yacht race in 2011 and has gone on to sail more since then.
Aside from offshore sailing Bob has been active in supporting and promoting sailing in the Northern Territory for over thirteen years. Bob has been active on the DBYCA’s Management Committee since 2018 including four years as Vice Commodore organising the iconic Dinah Beach Wet Season Series and the Spice Islands Darwin to Ambon Yacht Race.
In 2015, Bob proposed that DBYCA became affiliated with Australian Sailing and that all DBYCA active sailors should have an AS number. DBCYA is now an affiliated club of Australian Sailing and crew membership is available to all competing sailors.
In 2017, DBCYA adopted the use of safety categories for both the Ambon Race and Wet Season Racing. Bob has held the position of Senior National Equipment Auditor for Australian Sailing since 2014. Bob has worked to encourage and accredit more local Equipment Auditors for NT Sailing across both local clubs. Bob has also represented DBCYA on Yachting NT for many years and continues to advocate for offshore sailing in the NT.
After completing 19,000nm in 50 offshore yacht races, 61-year-old Bob reflects on the 2022/2023 sailing season as his most memorable.
It is great to go yacht racing with your mates and I am forever grateful to have helped Derek Morrison sail ‘Sintara’ to victory in my 10th Adelaide to Lincoln race.
Bob has competed in 50 x Blue Water Offshore Yacht Races:
• 5 x Darwin to Ambon (600nm)
• 8 x Darwin to Dili (430nm)
• 2 x Darwin to Bali (1000nm)
• 1 x Fremantle to Bali (1400nm)
• 1 x South China Sea Race (600nm)
• 5 x Raja Muda Regattas, Malaysia
• 3 x Sydney to Hobart
• 3 x ORCV Offshore Series Races
• 2 x Freo Offshore Series Races
• 2 x Melbourne to Hobart
• 8 x Round the Tiwi Islands, NT
• 10 x Adelaide to Pt Lincoln, SA
Nominated by Joy Eggenhuizen
