OV is Sailor of the Year

OV Ellie Driver (Os 13-20 and King’s Hawford) has recently been announced as Sailor of the Year 2022 in Sailing Today’s British Yachting Awards.

Ellie learnt to sail at the age of seven and spent most of her weekends during her time at King’s Hawford on the water, racing her Oppie, Top Dog. While at King’s Worcester, Ellie continued to compete both nationally and internationally, representing Great Britain in the 420-dinghy class with OV Rachael Cross (Os 17-19).

Having left King’s in 2019, Ellie moved to Southampton University for her degree in Marine Engineering, where she started double handed offshore racing on Chilli Pepper, a Sunfast 3300. The highlight of 2022 was completing the gruelling 2000m Round Britain & Ireland Race with her dad, Jim; they finished in sixth overall, more on which you can read here. Ellie is the youngest skipper to have completed the race, which took 15 days.

OV Ellie Driver accepting her Sailor of the Year Award – photo Marcus Holdsworth

Ellie was up against stiff competition for the Sailor of the Year accolade, including finalists 83-year-old Kenichi Horie, who sailed solo across the Pacific; the crew of Ziggy, for their Cowes Week performances on a budget; the crew of Dark ‘n Stormy, for their summer of racing success at Cowes Week, the Round the Island Race and elsewhere; and Richard Palmer and Rupert Holmes on Jangada for winning the Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race.

OV Ellie Driver as she crosses the finish line of the Round Britain & Ireland Race (Photo: James Tomlinson)

Many congratulations, Ellie, on a superb year of sailing and the very well-deserved award!