Australia's Glenn Ashby faces an unusual voting process and competition from one of his America's Cup winning crewmates for the prestigious world male sailor of the year award.
The Victorian was named Australia's male sailor of the year last Friday, after skippering Team New Zealand to the 2017 America's Cup in Bermuda.
Ashby is one of four nominees for the global award, with Kiwi Peter Burling, the helmsman aboard Team New Zealand, one of his rivals.
The other contenders are Frenchmen Thomas Coville and Armel le Cleac'h.
Coville is the single handed round-the-world record-holder and Cleac'h won the 2016-7 Vendee Globe.
The winner will be announced at the inaugural World Sailing Awards in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, next Wednesday morning Australian time.
The victor will be decided by a combination of World Sailing's member national authorities, attendees on the night and the voting public.
The public vote constitutes 20 per cent of the overall tally and closes just a few hours before the winner is announced.
MNA votes count for 40 per cent as does voting on the night.
The attendees will include leaders in the sport, top sailors, sponsors and other guests.
Three Australians have won the award since its inception 23 years ago.
The first was 2012 Olympic laser champion, multiple world champion and America's Cup winner, Tom Slingsby (2010).
Olympic 470 class gold and silver medallist Mathew Belcher won in 2013 and dual world champion and America's Cup winning skipper, Jimmy Spithill, the following year.
