Setting New Standards: Dinghy Sailor Nominated At Army Sports Awards

Army Sportsman of the Year 2019 nominee Simon Horsfield says it "would be an amazing accolade" if he were to win the award.

The sailor, who won a National Championship in the 2000-class dinghy, is nominated for the award alongside boxer Natty Ngwenya and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor Leon Hinds.

He was speaking about his recent successes and praised his partner Katie Burridge.

"I’ve sailed all my life but I think you have to find somebody who you are going to sail with who has the same equal level of passion," he said.

"They need to commit that level of time to it and having found that person a few years ago, we have worked together, developed and spent a lot of time sailing.

"That’s the difference. You can have the skill set but you need to share that with someone else and have the partnership.

"I think that resulted in the success that we had and are currently having."

Horsfield also competed in the Endevour trophy against some very difficult opposition.

“It is the best of the best,” he said. “It is thirty top sailors from different classes.

"They are all national champions including several ex-Olympians. Just to be able to race against these kinds of people is amazing.

"We had an incredible weekend and finishing seventh is an amazing achievement.

"There was nobody more surprised than us when we learnt we were beaten by one amateur and five professional sailors.

"It made it all the more special."

You can watch the Army Sports Awards LIVE on Facebook and here on our website from 9.50pm on Thursday 21 November.