Deaf amateur sailor who saved stricken yachtsman wins award

0 Gavin Reid had never sailed before joining the Clipper crew A deaf amateur sailor has beaten an Olympic medallist to be crowned yachtsman of the year for a daring midocean rescue.

Gavin Reid, 28, pipped professional sailor and fellow nominee Giles Scott, who won gold in the Rio Games last year, to the Yachting Journalists’ Association accolade.

Mr Reid, who is from Edinburgh but now lives in Cambridge, was born deaf and had no sailing experience before taking part in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, a 40,000-nautical mile challenge.

In January last year, while completing a full circumnavigation aboard the Mission Performance yacht, an SOS signal was picked up off the coast of New South Wales, Australia.

A boat returning from the Sydney-hobart Yacht Race had a crewman stuck at the top of the mast and Mr Reid’s yacht was nearest to the stricken vessel.

Volunteering to swim between the two boats, Mr Reid found four crew members aboard the yacht incapacitated and unable to help their crewman, who had become tangled in halyards at the top of the mast – and had been stuck for nine hours. Mr Reid climbed up to the man, managed to untangle the lines, and helped lower him to safety.

Picking up his trophy at a ceremony in central London yesterday, Mr Reid said he did not expect to receive the award and thanked those who voted for him.

“A year ago I did not know the difference between a halyard, a sheet or a jib – I knew nothing about sailing,” he said. “To be here with so many amazing names and people who have achieved so much is quite daunting.”

The vote was decided by more than 200 members of the Yachting Journalists’ Association, with just two ballots separating the top two nominees. The shortlist also included Round the Island Race record holder Brian Thompson.

Previous winners include Olympian Sir Ben Ainslie.