Rolex Sailor of the Year Award

The following announcement is posted on the CYA website. Evert Bastet, Olympian medalist, and leader of our Olympian teams, member of the HYC and RStLYC, is Canada's Rolex Sailor of the Year. Congratulations from Montreal Sailing.

The Rolex Sailor of the Year Award, CYA's most prestigious award, is presented annually to a Canadian sailor for bringing recognition to Canadian sailing and the Canadian Yachting Association. The award was first presented in 1986 to America's Cup supporter Paul Phelan, who successfully organised a merger between Canada's top 12-meter syndicates.

The 2007 recipient of the Rolex Sailor of the Year award is Evert Bastet, of Hudson, Quebec.

Evert Bastet was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela in 1950, by 1955 his family had relocated to Hudson, Quebec and so began an incredible journey in the sailing world. Evert counts among his accomplishments the participation in 7 Olympic Games including a Silver Medal performance in the 1984 Games, further he was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Quebec Sport Hall of Fame in 2006.

In his youth, Evert described the Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club as his “extended backyard”, what a formative playground for a Canadian sailing icon. Evert’s contribution to the sport of sailing extends far beyond his days spent chasing elusive Olympic Medals, he is one of the most recognizable faces of the sport with his continued dedication as a volunteer including his role as Team Leader in Athens and forthcoming in Beijing Olympic Games, along with the countless hours he has spent as a participant, official, and executive at the Royal St. Lawrence and Hudson Yacht Clubs.

His greatest support network comes from his family, wife Valerie and daughters Nicole and Kaci. The sailing world counts itself lucky that his family so willingly shares such an incredible mentor and leader with our sport.