He's the Australian who just can't stop winning.
On the back of a two-year winning streak, four world championships in a row, gold at the London Olympics and numerous World Cup events, Mathew Belcher has won the male World Sailor of the Year award - just the second Australian to receive the honour in its 19-year history.
Throw in October's Australian Sailor of the Year award with his 470 class crewmate Will Ryan, an award last month for coming top of his Masters degree class and a newborn baby and it's easy to see why life could hardly be better for 31-year-old Belcher.
"It has been an unbelievable couple of years for me both on and off the water - and the world sailor award really caps it off," said Belcher from Muscat, Oman where he received the prestigious International Sailing Federation gong on Tuesday night (Wednesday am AEDT).
It was the third time in four years he'd been nominated for the title.
Belcher beat fellow Australian and world speed sailing record holder Paul Larsen, US kitesurfer Johnny Heinken, French Vendee Globe winner Francois Gabart and British match racer Ian Williams.
Olympic sailing champion Tom Slingsby is the only other Australian to have won the world sailor award, having taken the title in 2010.
New Zealand 470 class sailors Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, nicknamed Team Jolly, were handed the female award.
"I'm a little bit shocked," Aleh said.
"There were some amazing nominees this year and we are delighted to be part of this."
Belcher's 17-regatta winning streak began way back in November 2011 with former crewmate Malcolm Page, who also attended the ISAF awards night in Oman.
The pairing and their highly respected coach Victor Kovalenko became simply unbeatable, extending their run right through to their gold medal victory at last year's Olympics.
With Page's retirement, Belcher teamed up with Ryan, a reserve sailor at the 2012 Games.
If anything the new pairing became even stronger - winning all 10 races at their first regatta, December's Sail Melbourne World Cup event.
Since then they've added the 2013 world title and European title and a string of World Cup victories.
But there's little prospect of a rest for Belcher - with the 2013 Sail Melbourne regatta just around the corner, a new boat to launch, a nomination for this week's Australian Institute of Sport Awards to deal with, along with his new baby - and Kovalenko cracking the whip.
"Yeah he's a hard man - as soon as we get home, that's it, Victor will have us back out on the water," Belcher joked.
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