Public voting will close on Sunday (November 7) with governing body World Sailing's Member National Authority vote to also close later that day.

The awards ceremony will take place on November 8 at the Casa Llotja de Mar in Barcelona in Spain, where attendees on the night will be given a final opportunity to vote.

Those wishing to cast their vote for who they believe is the worthiest recipient of the coveted male and female prizes can do so here.

The votes will be tallied up before King Constantine II of Greece, World Sailing's President of Honour, announces the winners.

They will be presented with a unique marble and silver trophy depicting the globe, which is crowned with five silver spinnakers representing the continents, and a Rolex watch.

Since the awards' inception in 1994, the trophy has celebrated the achievements of sailors, both individually and as a team, who have "demonstrated unparalleled endurance, performance and accomplishment in sailing".

The nominations for this year's awards include a number of Olympic, Paralympic and world champions.

Nominees in the male category include Argentina's Santiago Lange, who won gold at Rio 2016 with Cecilia Carranza Saroli in the Nacra 17 event just one year after he was diagnosed with cancer and had to have a lung removed. 

Other contenders for the male award are New Zealand duo Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, who have been shortlisted after they dominated the 49er fleet in Rio, winning with two races to spare.

Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic, who won Croatia's first ever sailing Olympic gold medal in Rio in the men's 470 event, and Great Britain's Giles Scott, who became both Olympic and world finn champion this year, are also in contention.

The fifth and final male nominee is French Paralympian Damien Seguin.

He sealed his second Paralympic gold medal in Rio when he beat Australia's Matthew Bugg in the 2.4 Norlin OD event.

Nominees for the women's award include Rio 2016 laser radial Olympic gold medallist Marit Bouwmeester of The Netherlands, as well as Lange's Olympic partner Saroli.

Brazilians Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze have also made the final list after they won gold in the Rio 2016 49erFX event, in what was a nervy race for the title in front of their home fans. 

Britain's Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark finally managed to win Olympic gold following a disappointing silver in London four years earlier, and have been rewarded with a nomination.

They eased to victory in the women's 470 event whilst the fifth and final female contender is Charline Picon of France, who also won gold in the Brazilian city. 

Picon won gold at the 2014 and 2015 Olympic RS:X test events and added a third title in Rio this summer as a second place finish in the medal race was enough to secure her maiden Olympic title.

Beginning with Sir Peter Blake and Sir Robin Knox Johnston, the inaugural winners, the trophy has been won by some of the sport's biggest names.

Other previous recipients include the most successful sailor in Olympic History, four-time gold medallist Sir Ben Ainslie, as well as 2008 Olympic Champion Anna Tunnicliffe.