Aruba is so proud!

Our Wind Surf Star Sarah-Quita

20 year-old Sarah-Quita Offringa, who has been making windsurfing world history since she first turned pro at the age of 12 has another resoun­ding achievement to add to her resume: She is the youngest of a field of 5 men and 4 women to be selected as nominees for the coveted and prestigious ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award 2011.

Sarah-Quita is the first Aruban to be considered for the International Sailing Federation award, considered the Oscar of sailing, and is competing against Dee Caffari (GBR) – Record Breaking Round the World Yachts­woman, Alexandra Rickham (GBR) – ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion and IFDS World Champion, and Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) – ISAF Sailing World Cup Champion. Only two awards are given for male and female Sailors of the Year.

Sarah-Quita captured the hearts of windsurfers everywhere by being the youngest to ever win a gold medal in 2006 at the age of 15, when she was named “Rookie of the Year” by the Professional Windsurfing Association (PWA.) For two more years she was ranked second in the world, and then in 2008 set a new record, ha­ving just turned 17, of being the youngest female world champion on record, when she dominated the podium in the freestyle competitions. Since then, she has claimed the Women’s Windsurfing World Champion Freestyle title every year, remaining undefeated in all her competitive heats. This year, she worked hard on winning at slalom as well, and claimed the Women’s World Champion Slalom title, which the ISAF describes as “no mean feat.”

“Sarah-Quita Offringa is an inspiration for young athletes and has been a driving force behind a new school of women’s freestyle windsur­fing. She has supreme athletic ability and talent and is a real ambassador for the sport of sailing,” states ISAF.