IT'S 1976. Malcolm Fraser is the prime minister and Sir John Kerr still the governor general. Manly Warringah won the NSWRL premiership. And in Taree, sailor Ian Ruff was named the Manning River Times Sportstar of the Year - it was then known as the sportsman of the year.
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Ruff won a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal.
In the years since rowers, cricketers, tennis players, rugby league players, cyclists, motor cyclists, a triathlete and a squad player, among others, have won the area's most coveted sporting award. But no sailors.
However, 2022 saw sailing break the long drought. Troy Lewis, the State sabre class champion, was announced as the 61st winner of the award during the Taree Australia Day ceremony this week.
Lewis joins the two-time winner Ruff along with Garry Hobson as the sailors on the honour roll. However, unlike Ruff and Hobson, who were in crewed boats, Lewis was all on his own on the sabre craft
Lewis became the first Manning sailor in more than 20 years, or possibly longer, to win a State title following a three-race series held at Teralba on Lake Macquarie. The first day of the championship was called off due to rough conditions.
Lewis won two of the three races on the second day to claim the crown, with fellow Manning sailor Warren Ruprecht in second place.
This was also his first season in the class.
He started sailing as a boy on the Manning in sabots and vee jays. Lewis then moved to Sydney and had a break from the sport, resuming when he returned in 2006.
By then the sailing scene here had changed, with the dominant classes from his earlier days, including the vee jays and vee esses, long consigned to history.
Sailing single-manned boats presents a different challenge, Lewis said.
"There's no-one else to blame but the mug behind the stick,'' he laughed.
"I'm really surprised to win this, I didn't really think I had a chance,'' Lewis said at the award presentation held in conjunction with the Australia Day awards on Wednesday.
At 44, he is the oldest winner of the award since champion equestrian Johnny Fahey was named the top sport in 1993. Fahey also won the 1964 award.
The Times award dates back to 1960 and is one of the most longest established in Australia.
Taree Australia Day ceremony MC Bruce Moy noted that the area has produced many great sailors.
"Maybe Troy is leading a resurgence,'' he said.
RELATED: Warren Ruprecht's life on the water
Cricketer Johnny Martin was the inaugural sportstar of the year in 1960 after making his test debut. His youngest son, Grahame, was named the citizen of the year at Wednesday's awards following his heroic efforts at Manning Point in the wake of March's devastating floods.
