The 32 year old SANDERSON, from Whangarei, New Zealand, has established himself as one of the ‘names’ in sailing, becoming the latest in a distinguished line of Kiwi megastars. He is the third New Zealander to be honoured with the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards, following on from the later Peter BLAKE (NZL) and three-time America’s Cup winner Russell COUTTS (NZL).

'This is my Olympic medal, this is my climbing of Mount Everest, this is my childhood dream,' said SANDERSON upon guiding ABN AMRO ONE to a crushing victory in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06. Looking back on his sailing CV, it is a dream he appeared destined to fulfil. With vast experience racing and working as a sail maker he joined Grant DALTON’s (NZL) New Zealand Endeavour team as a trimmer and went on to win the Whitbread Round the World Race 1993-94 (now the Volvo). A second place followed, as watch captain for DALTON in 1997-98. Either side of this were America’s Cup campaigns with Chris DICKSON (NZL) and Dean BARKER (NZL) and a host of offshore successes, notably as helmsman when Mari Cha IV broke the transatlantic record by over two days in 2003. The match racing also continued, with a two year stint as mainsheet trimmer for Peter HOLMBERG (ISV) in the Oracle BMW Racing challenge for the last edition of the Cup.

In July 2004, SANDERSON joined TEAM ABN AMRO as the skipper of ABN AMRO ONE and began one of the most successful and dominant racing campaigns ever launched. Under SANDERSON’s leadership, ABN AMRO ONE went on to win six of the nine legs, five of the seven In Port races and claim maximum points at all but one of the scoring gates, to win the Volvo Ocean Race with two legs still to go.

www.sailing.org caught up with the 2006 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year to find out a little bit more about the man they call Moose…

Lining up for 'mentor' Grant DALTON's Merit Cup team in 1997 © John Gichigi/Allsport/ Getty Images

World Sailor Of The Year

It is unbelievable. I was blown away to be nominated, let alone to have made the final selection. I’m really blown away. It’s something huge, it’s something I’ve watched every year, certainly it’s something… you’ve just to look at the past winners to see what an amazing award it is.

Highlight Of The Year

For me, winning the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race was only beaten by lifting the final trophy at the end. The first leg is a display of your all around performance and a display of your preparation.

The boat that’s won the first leg has gone on to always win the race. We didn’t know whether we’d repeat that statistic or be the first person to muck it up, but for me winning the first leg was really exciting and only beaten by the final result.

Staying Focused

Secretly I’d let myself only for a few seconds think ‘man this is really going to happen’, but very quickly made sure I pushed it out of my head. For me the thing was never over until it was over and the press got sick of me talking like that.

Even in New York it almost got to the stage where we really had to just finish and we were going to win it. I had such huge respect for who we were racing against and it was such a fantastic line up of competition, so it was one of those things you could never take for granted.

'I have worked so long and so hard to try and be a winning skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race' © Oskar Kihlborg/ Volvo Ocean Race

I have worked so long and so hard to try and be a winning skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race, I’m not promising what my next very big thing is. Short term I’m building an Open 60, which I’m excited about getting back into that class. It was a stepping stone into the 70 and so I think it’s a great thing to do alongside continuing to race the ABM AMRO boats, to make sure I’m in great shape for the next Volvo Ocean Race as well.

Long term, the America’s Cup. I’ve done a few already, but the opportunity to get involved in the senior management of an America’s Cup team is where I’d like to see myself long term. That’s the bit of the sport I enjoy – the team aspect. The interaction between the sailors and the designer teams and trying to get the most out of boats and people.

Great Year For The Kiwis

It’s interesting because if you take Dean BARKER and lots of the guys on the Emirates team. If you take Hamish [PEPPER] and Carl [WILLIAMS – 2006 Star World Champions] and maybe myself and the other four guys [David ENDEAN, Brad JACKSON, Mark CHRISTENSEN and Tony MUTTER – the other Kiwis on ABM AMRO ONE] we’re almost half a generation younger than the guys who have previously been making all the noise in New Zealand sailing, or certainly a few years younger. So it’s great that we’ve had the year that we’ve had and it’s definitely really exciting.

I’ve watched those two events [Louis Vuitton Act 12 and the Star Worlds] all the way from start to finish. Grant DALTON in particular has played a huge part in my career. I’ve sailed with him twice around the world and he’s definitely my mentor and someone I use as a sounding board a lot. What better person to ask tricky Volvo questions than the man himself. Hamish is a good mate of mine and I know so many of the guys on Emirates – I watched it all with a lot of interest.

How It All Began

'It’s just a matter of working hard' © TEAM ABN AMRO

Any Advice

It’s just a matter of working hard, and I know that might sound like such a cliché, but it is just a matter of getting on with it. Far too many people might just get into a national squad or get their first paid ride on a Farr 40 or something and then sit back and think they’ve made it… certainly my attitude and my guys who have been doing well, whether it was the Emirates Team New Zealand or our Volvo crew or many of the other Kiwis on tour, I think the guys who are doing well are the guys who don’t ever think they’ve made it. And I think that’s the secret. Just get on with it. There's always someone doing a better job than you, so you’ve just to keep those goalposts moving.

View Mike SANDERSON's (NZL) year in pictures .

World Sailor Podcast

Sailing fans can relive the tension as the winners were announced and watch all the best action from the Awards Ceremony in a Podcast of the event.

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About The Awards

The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards Dinner and Presentation takes place on 7 November 2006 at the Wanha Satama, an historic warehouse in the heart of Helsinki, Finland.

Each winner will be presented with the coveted ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award Trophy and a Rolex timepiece at a ceremony that will honour the achievements of all of the nominees. This gala occasion will be attended by the nominees and eminent guests from the sailing world, and the renowned sailor, yachting journalist and Rolex Ambassador Gary JOBSON (USA) will act as Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

For more information on the eleven nominees and their achievements CLICK HERE.

To view the World Sailor Photo Gallery of the nominees in action CLICK HERE.

The ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards is taking place during the ISAF Annual Conference.