SINGAPORE: Singapore kitefoiler Max Maeder is among the nominees for the inaugural Young World Sailor of the Year award at the 2024 World Sailing Awards.
The 18-year-old is in a stellar vein of form, clinching bronze at the Paris Olympics, as well as winning the 2024 IKA KiteFoil World Series and the open event at the Formula Kite Youth European Championships.
The male and female Young World Sailor of the Year categories are newly established and are open to any sailor under the age of 21, World Sailing said on Monday (Oct 21).
The award presentations will be held in Singapore on Nov 5 at CHIJMES Hall.
Public voting will be open until 7am on Oct 28 Singapore time. Votes from the public will make up 50 per cent of the final decision, with the other half contributed by World Sailing’s expert panels, it said.
Maeder is in the running with other young sailing champions: Italian Vittorio Bonifacio, who is the current junior European champion and youth world champion in the 420 dinghy; Australian Grae Morris, who won silver in the men’s windsurfing event at the Paris Olympics; and Dane Magnus Overbeck, who won the Waszp SailGP Inspire season 2023/2024.
This is Maeder’s second consecutive nomination at the World Sailing Awards. In 2023, he was nominated for Male Sailor of the Year, which was won by Tom Slingsby from Australia.