Dan Smith shortlisted for Scottish Performance Award

Daniel Smith, Derry~Londonderry~Doire Skipper, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Performance of the Year award at the RYA Scotland Annual Awards following his team’s second place finish.

On his nomination, Daniel Smith, 34, from West Kilbride and a well-known instructor at Cumbrae National Centre, says: “I was very surprised to be nominated for this award. I felt immensely proud of my team for finishing second in the Clipper Round the World Race. As we crossed the finish line I thought about how far we had come. Not only 48,000 nautical miles around the world but also as a team and as individuals.

“They said to me at the start of the race that the sailing is the easy bit and that managing a large crew is the challenge. They weren’t wrong, the sailing wasn’t easy, but managing 62 amateur crew certainly was certainly a challenge. They were a great team though and we managed to get everyone giving it their best working towards the common goal of winning the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. We were very close, we only missed it by a few points.”

Daniel and his crew finished on the podium in eight of the thirteen races in the series, including an impressive five race victories, and only lost out to the overall winners LMAX Exchange, by four points.

The winners of the RYA Scotland Awards will be announced at their annual awards night at Glasgow's Science Centre on 28 January 2017.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston says: "I'm delighted to hear Daniel has been nominated for RYA Scotland's Performance of the Year award. Being a Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Skipper is one of the toughest challenges in sailing but he impressed immensely with his excellent performance and ability to lead his team effectively under pressure."

Daniel is the latest of a number of Clipper 2015-16 Race Skippers and crew who have been recognised for national awards.

Clipper 2015-16 Race winning Skipper Olivier Cardin picked up a special achievement award for ocean racing at the French Sailing Federation’s ‘Soiree des Champions’ earlier this month, and one of his LMAX Exchange circumnavigatingcrew members, Dominique Hausser, was also recognised with a special award for his commitment to sailing at the Swiss Sailing Awards.

Gavin Reid, a circumnavigating crew member of the Mission Performance team has received multiple accolades for his rescue efforts of a non-Clipper Race stricken vessel and a crew member stuck up the mast off the coast of Western Australia.

Not only did he receive the Henri Lloyd Seamanship Award, he has now also won the RORC Outstanding Seamanship Award, was given special recognition at the 2016 Australian Sailing Awards, plus is shortlisted for the YJA Yachtsman of the Year and YJA Young Sailor of the Year Awards, to be announced on 10 January at the London Boat Show.

Think you could replicate Daniel's success on the race track? Trials are currently on going for Skippers wanting to lead a team in the Clipper 2017-18 Race. Click here to find out more.

Crew places for the 2017-18 Race are still available but going fast. Click here to find out more about the race and how to apply.

Race of Their Lives 2, the award winning, seven part TV series of the Clipper-2015-16 Race is now available to purchase (£24.99) via Bookharbour. Click here to order.