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It's official. Iker and Xabi are the 2011 best sailors in the world according to ISAF, the International Sailing Federation and sailing's maximum authority. The Team Telefónica sailors have swept the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2011 Award thanks to their exceptional sporting careers to date. The Spanish duo have won the Award eleven years after the first of their three nominations.

Celebrations in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean

The decision was made public during the early hours of this morning at a ceremony held in San Juan (Puerto Rico). However, for Iker and Xabi this wasn't an award they found out about in the formal awards ceremony setting with its protocol and sobriety... they found out in the North Atlantic, in full racing mode on the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, in second place currently and fighting for the first spot.

From on board 'Telefónica' Skipper Iker Martínez said: “We are really happy about the ISAF Rolex Sailors of the Year Award. At the same time we are also quite tired as we've had a few tough days getting away from the Mediterranean and now heading for the Canaries on a tough close haul, but it is an important part of this first leg and of the start of the regatta. Thank you to everyone who voted for us to become sailors of the year for the very first time... and here we are, still battling it out on board 'Telefónica.'”

Xabi Fernández added: “Here we are on 'Telefónica' sailing the Atlantic and fighting hard. It's been quite tough, but everything is going well. I'd just like to thank everyone for the World Sailor of the Year Award. We are over the moon and we will celebrate here on board.”

The sporting careers of the Spanish duo were definitely the reason that the balance tipped in their favour against other sailors of the calibre of Ben Ainslie, Lorenzo Bressani, Rob Douglas or Nathan Outteridge. In total, Iker and Xabi have now notched up two Olympic medals, three world titles and three more European titles, as well as successes in the offshore sailing world such as the “movistar” speed record in 2005, third place for “Telefónica Blue” in the previous edition of the Volvo Ocean Race and silver in the Barcelona World Race. The sailors are now in the middle of the Atlantic and are demonstrating not only their unwavering urge to excel but also their versatility as sailors.

From Olympic sailing to the ocean.

Iker and Xabi began their joint career back in 1999 on board a 49er. It was in that Olympic class that the Spanish duo would take their first ever significant victory: the world championships held in Hawaii (USA) in 2002. Two years later Iker and Xabi repeated that victory in the waters of Athens, on the same course that just months later they would take the much sought-after Olympic gold.

With the big titles in the bag, Iker and Xabi announced a brand new challenge as they signed “movistar” up for the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006. Iker Martínez called tactics on the in-port races whilst Xabi was trimming and at the helm on a round the world race that they will never forget. On April 5^th 2005 'movistar' took the sailing speed record by sailing 530 miles in a 24 hours period during a South Pacific training session between Wellington (NZ) and Cape Horn. It was also the first Spanish boat to win an offshore leg on a round the world regatta.

Three circumnavigations between two Olympic Games

Following that first offshore experience the Basque sailors also took a foray back into the 49er class to become European champions for two consecutive years: 2007 in Marsala, Italy and in 2008 in the home country, Spain, in Palma de Mallorca. They went on to take silver at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Soon after the Olympic regatta was over, Iker and Xabi set course for Alicante to join the ranks of “Team Telefónica” sailing in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009. They got on board “Telefónica Blue” where Iker headed up the crew alongside Bouwe Bekking and Xabi retook his roles as trimmer and helmsman. The Spanish pair notched up even more sporting successes for Spain with “Telefónica Blue” finishing sailing's most extreme regatta on the podium, in third place, with two leg victories and two leads at scoring gates and four in-port regatta victories.

After that round the world regatta Iker and Xabi took on yet another challenge: to take another world title, which would be the third in their careers. Following extensive training and effort, Iker and Xabi took the title in January 2010, this time at the Bahamas. In fact, they are still the World Champions in the 49er Olympic class.

The non-stop, double-handed, round the world race: The Barcelona World Race

Now three time World Champions in the Olympic class, the pair stepped on board the IMOCA Open 60 “MAPFRE” to take on the Barcelona World Race, the two crew, non-stop, round the world regatta. Not only did they take silver in the regatta, but they also became the first crew to complete the round the world regatta without a single technical stopover and without receiving any external assistance.

Right now Iker and Xabi are in full race mode in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012 on 'Telefónica'. The aim: to win the prestigious regatta for Spain.

A second World Sailor of the Year Award for Team Telefónica

In 2005 Fernando Echávarri and Antón Paz became the first male Spanish sailors to take the international award. Now, six years later Iker and Xabi take the title for a second time for Spain and for Team Telefónica. With this ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year award the pair are now not only Spain's most successful crew ever, but they are also 2011's best sailors in the world.