A historical feature on the history of US Sailing's Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year award winners.

Closed Captions (CC):
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being named the best in your sport is an

honor to be treasured every year since

1961 us sailing is recognized

outstanding performances in sailing

Rolex has proudly sponsored the

yachtsman yachts over the Year award

since 1980

Rolex timepieces are the watch a choice

for sailors all over the world

the honorees are presented with the new

Rolex previous winners have included

Olympic medalists world champions

America's Cup winners record setters and

around the world victors while the

disciplines and sailing are very

different the quest for excellence comes

from within I'll never forget my first

day on the water when I was younger my

brothers Aussie when he sailed me in

from a regatta and I just thought being

on the water I felt so free my parents

got a boat when I was around three years

old and they were learning to sail and

took me along for the ride just grew up

on boats my father had a couple boats

including a 52 foot y'all everything I

have in life I owe to sailing I grew up

here after school I came down to the I

club and because I was here a lot I got

to be a good sailor my father approved

for Dennis so as a kid and I'm hanging

around Dennis hauled all day and

actually I start working as both so I'm

working on the boat I learned all types

of stuff went in the filmmaking business

because they had to do something to make

a living having been fired that was the

real reason in the age of 18 to 28 I did

a lot of racing with Tom those are the

formative years you know I mean I knew

how to sail but I didn't understand how

to race

bollocks award-winners span a wide range

of Ages in a sport that demands total

dedication there's no wave that's ever

the same there's no process of the same

so it's not like going on to a

basketball court and you say okay we're

going to run play three we're always

learning I think that's a cool thing

about this board is every day go out on

the water we learn something new I can

figure the throws of winning Olympic

races the thrill of winning America's

Cup with Bill Koch was extraordinary but

I think sometimes just the race is at

home I sometimes fall asleep thinking

about some of the fun races I've had a

strong mental attitude gives the sailor

the edge over the competition you can

find yourself seventh at the first limit

mark and you know maybe you feel the

need to hang a corner or do something

dramatic but actually if you just sail

high-percentage moves and stay

consistent if you surprised how many

people get out of your way like to think

I was a good sport I did it for pleasure

not cool overall not for money whether

it's a weekend regatta or whether it's a

national championships don't say no to a

ride and develop a reputation of helping

any boat you get on do better thanks to

ever advancing technology sailors are

able to improve their performance the

best advice for aspiring champion is to

embrace both the art and science of

sailing today's generation is so

talented and qualified and they're

getting training far superior than we

ever experienced in those days to me

it's giving back and encouraging people

to achieve their personal best hard work

and skill will get you a long way

let's go alone Walt and so if you want

something bad enough you have to be

willing to work for it and to make some

sacrifices and to push yourself to

limits that you don't really know about

get going all champions learn from their

mistakes and are able to overcome

adversity for a young sailor what you

learn is often more important than how

you finish

keep an open mind and try things would

be willing to make errors

you almost learn more from the races

that you don't do well and so you know

when you have a bad day you think okay

well that just gave me a lot of stuff to

learn do your best always be a good

sport carry yourself well on and off the

block

never give up if you work hard enough

and you put enough into it I think you

can raise your prospects another level

of competition to be able to make it to

the turn

there is great satisfaction when you

reach your goal success inspires even

greater achievement if you take a lot

away from it that experience will stay

with me forever but I also think that if

you stop having fun and everything else

becomes extremely difficult you're at

the pinnacle of something that you've

been working at all your life you're

sailing Lee's stunning boats in the most

beautiful spectacular conditions so I

don't think it was a minute ever dreaded

being there to be the best at a sport or

a job or you know a vocation or

avocation just take hard work discipline

and a love for what it is that you're

doing I love competing so as long as

it's still fun how I'll keep coming back