Following another successful season of racing across the DF65, DF95 and IOM classes, members gathered for the Austin Lakes Radio Sailing Club Annual Awards Presentation to recognise the achievements, commitment and sportsmanship that make our club such a great place to sail.
The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of the prestigious Ray Bassett Trophy, awarded to the overall Club Champion across both the Winter 2025 and Summer 2025/26 championship series. This year's recipient was Andrew Donkin, whose consistency and performance across the season saw him claim the club's highest honour.
Andrew's strong season continued with the DF65 Most Consistent Skipper Award, recognising his ability to deliver top performances week after week throughout the championship series.
Competition in the DF65 fleet was fierce throughout the year, with Nick Jerwood taking home the award for Most Wins per Regatta, demonstrating impressive speed and race-winning form whenever he took to the water.
Few sailors enjoyed a season quite as successful as Lawrie Henrickson, who collected an impressive haul of trophies. Lawrie was awarded DF95 Most Consistent, DF95 Most Wins per Regatta, and IOM Most Consistent, highlighting his versatility and competitiveness across multiple classes.
The IOM Most Wins per Regatta Award was presented to Mark Easton, whose performances throughout the season set the benchmark in the IOM fleet.
Recognising improvement as well as outright results, the Most Improved Skipper Award went to Graeme Elliott. Graeme's steady progress throughout the season saw him finish third in the DF65 Championship and fourth in the DF95 Championship, a remarkable improvement that did not go unnoticed.
The Commodore's special award for encouragement and participation was presented to Phil Plowman. Phil's enthusiasm and willingness to sail in all three classes throughout the year made him a worthy recipient of the ALRS Commodore's Encouragement Award.
One of the lighter-hearted awards of the afternoon was the Most Colourful Boat Award, won by Gary Goodall for his beautifully presented DF95 featuring a distinctive imitation teak deck finish.
Attendance awards recognised those sailors who regularly supported club racing throughout the season. In the DF65 fleet, Kevin Matthews attended 19 regattas, representing an impressive 79% participation rate and earning the Most Regattas Sailed Award.
In the DF95 fleet, Graeme Elliott was a near ever-present competitor, attending 21 regattas for an outstanding 95% participation rate to claim the DF95 Most Regattas Sailed Award.
The IOM Most Regattas Sailed Award went to Mark Easton, who attended eight regattas, representing 89% of all IOM racing conducted during the season.
No ALRS awards presentation would be complete without a little humour. This year's Biggest Calamity Award went to Dave Ralph, who looked set for victory before an unfortunate encounter with floating debris brought his race to an abrupt end and resulted in a DNF.
The Most Welcoming Clubman Award was presented to Mark Easton in recognition of his tireless efforts to keep the IOM fleet active and welcoming for both existing and new sailors.
The Best Sportsman Award went to Annette O'Mahoney, whose exemplary display of sportsmanship included voluntarily calling and taking a penalty on herself when many others may have remained silent.
A huge thank you goes to Total Tools Mandurah, who generously donated six vouchers that were presented to a selection of award recipients during the afternoon.
Congratulations to all award winners and thank you to every member who contributed to another fantastic year of radio sailing at Austin Lakes.
Andrew Donkin, ALRS Commodore
To watch a DF95 race video, visit: https://youtu.be/2B0I3DPDtqo
