Wearn Claims Fourth Male Sailor of the Year

Double Olympic champion Matt Wearn took the top honour at the 2026 Australian Sailing Awards, with coach Rafa Trujillo named Coach of the Year for a third straight time.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Surfing

Expressive sports illustration of a sailor leaning out over a racing dinghy as spray flies across teal water under warm sunlight. — Matt Wearn won his fourth Australian Male Sailor of the Year title at the 2026 Australian Sailing Awards in Sydney, with coach Rafa Trujillo named Coach of the Year for a third straight time. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Matt Wearn won his fourth Australian Male Sailor of the Year title at the 2026 Australian Sailing Awards in Sydney. Rafa Trujillo secured his third consecutive Coach of the Year award at the same ceremony.

Why it matters

Wearn's record reflects a season of three Sailing Grand Slam wins in the ILCA 7 and a seventh Australian National Championship title. The awards recognise sustained performance across the national sailing program.

Wearn has won three Sailing Grand Slam events in the ILCA 7 and his seventh Australian National Championship title, while Rory Meehan was named Noakes Group Male Youth Sailor of the Year for a second time.

The players

Matt Wearn

Matt Wearn is a double Olympic champion and sailor in the ILCA 7 class who has now won Australia's Male Sailor of the Year award four times.

Rafa Trujillo

Rafa Trujillo is a sailing coach who has won the Australian Sailing Coach of the Year award three consecutive times, recognising his work with athletes in the High Performance program.

Tom Burton

Tom Burton is a former Olympic Laser class sailor who won gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and was inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame.

Rory Meehan

Rory Meehan is a young Australian sailor who won the 2025 U19 World Championships in iQFOiL and was named Noakes Group Male Youth Sailor of the Year for a second time.

The details

The awards were presented at the 2026 Australian Sailing Awards ceremony in Sydney, where Tom Burton was also inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. Burton won gold in the Laser class at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

2016: Tom Burton wins Olympic gold in the Laser class at Rio.
2017: The Australian Sailing Hall of Fame is established in partnership with the Australian National Maritime Museum.
2024: Matt Wearn competes at the Paris Games.
2025: Rory Meehan wins the U19 World Championships in iQFOiL.
2026: Wearn wins four major regattas and the Male Sailor of the Year award.

Season Trajectory

Wearn's fourth Male Sailor of the Year title and his three Grand Slam wins in the ILCA 7 position him as the leading Australian sailor in the post-Paris cycle. The Hall of Fame induction of Burton, established in 2017, adds a historical marker to the sport's national record.

Wearn's rankings and the Male Sailor of the Year title may shape how sailing is tracked by fans and fantasy followers through the coming season. Coaching recognition for Trujillo reflects the High Performance program's influence on athletes across Australian sailing.

The takeaway

Recognition at the 2026 Australian Sailing Awards highlights how coaching, athlete performance and historical contribution each contribute to the national sailing program. Readers following Australian sailing can track these names across upcoming regattas.