Victorian Sailing Awards Winners 2025
Last Friday 12th September, Sandringham Yacht Club hosted the annual Victorian Sailing Awards Night where Australian Sailing recognises the outstanding contributions and/or achievements associated with the sport of sailing. We were fortunate enough to have some well-deserving finalists, Lucas James and Laura Harding, representing BYS in their respective categories.
Lucas James
We proudly boast that home-grown talent Lucas James, was awarded Victorian Instructor of the Year!
Lucas is an outstanding young instructor whose leadership, maturity, and passion for sailing have made him an integral part of Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron’s coaching team. He has grown into a Lead Instructor, delivering programs for juniors, youth, and adults while creating a positive and inclusive learning environment admired by sailors and parents alike.
Lucas is an exceptional young instructor who is deeply committed to developing himself, having been selected to participate in the prestigious 2025 Australian Sailing Coach Development Program (Victoria Pilot Program), where he is mentored by Olympic coach Amelia Catt. He is also working toward his Senior Instructor qualification within the next 6-12 months, which will enable him to support and train the next generation of instructors—a role he is particularly passionate about as he contributes to the development of Victoria’s instructing workforce.
Lucas also continues to race competitively in ILCA6, ILCA7, and Aero7 classes at local, state, and national levels. He believes that staying active in the sport is critical to staying relevant as an instructor and coach.
Lucas is a fantastic role model for young instructors and sailors, and with his continued development, he is on track to become one of Victoria’s most capable and inspiring performance coaches. Well done Lucas!
Laura Harding
We continue the celebrations as our own Laura Harding was awarded Victorian Female Sailor of the Year and a Barrenjoey Pin recipient!
Laura has emerged as one of Australia’s brightest Olympic sailing talents, achieving standout international results in the 49erFX, including 8th at the 2025 European Championship and 1st at 2024 Sail Sydney. Alongside her Olympic campaign, she represented Australia in the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup, cementing her place as a trailblazer in high-performance sailing.
Off the water, Laura gives back as a coach and mentor at Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, inspiring the next generation while balancing her studies with elite competition. A fierce competitor and respected role model, Laura embodies excellence, ambition, and leadership.
Her journey is a reminder of what’s possible when talent meets determination, as she prepares to take on the 2025 49er FX World Championships in Cagliari, Italy in the coming weeks. Well done and good luck Laura!
