John Vallentine

The 2018 Australian Trophy has been presented to a very worthy recipient, John Vallentine, in recognition of his lifetime of adventure sailing, mainly aboard s/v 'Tainui', a Formosa 46 with many sailing experiences including the Russian voyages via the Volga.
John first went to sea as a cabin boy in a Norwegian coal ship after 2nd year medicine, and has never been far away from the water since. His love of the ocean and sailing has seen many forms from ocean racing to cruising remote areas. John continues a strong connection with the seas by provide services to ships engaged in the refugee situations in Europe. He has co-authored, with Maxine Maters, Sailing through Russia: From the Arctic to the Black Sea – 2016, a book that is both a cruising guide and travel tale on how Australian s/v 'Tainui' sailed down the inland Russian waterways.