Britain's trio of Paralympic gold medallists were given further recognition of a world-beating 1996 in London last night when Andy Cassell, Tony Downs and Kevin Curtis were voted BT Yachtsmen of the Year by the Yachting Journalists' Association.

They had also been European champions before taking gold at Lake Lanier in August and have proved almost invincible, with Cassell also holding a distinguished track record of sailing at all levels.

Winners of the young sailor award were the Cuthbert twins, Sally and Jessie. They won their second consecutive gold medals at the World Youth Championships in Newport, Rhode Island, in July, but for Sally this was a record-breaking fourth successive gold having won the two previous worlds with Storm Nuttall.

Youth was also to the fore for the global achievement award which went to the 18-year old Australian David Dicks, of Fremantle, who is the youngest recorded person to have sailed singlehanded non-stop round the world.

In Hobart, Tasmania, the Royal Navy crew skippered by Mickey Broughton won the King of the Derwent race for yachts which have finished both the Sydney to Hobart and the Melbourne to Hobart, in which Broughton's crew came seventh out of a fleet of 93.