The list includes kiteboarders, offshore racers and Olympic class specialists with a female and male winner due to be announced.

The women's shortlist includes Nacra 17 world champion Caterina Banti of Italy and Volvo Ocean Race winners Carolijn Brouwer of The Netherlands and Marie Riou of France.

Daniela Moroz of the United States, a kiteboarding world champion, and Wendy Tuck of Australia, the Clipper Round the World Race winning skipper, complete the female nominees.

Charles Caudrelier of France, the winning skipper of the Volvo Ocean Race, is one of the male sailors on the list.

Croats Sime and Mihovil Fantela, the 49er world champions, laser world champion Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus and RS:X world champion Dorian van Rijsselberghe of The Netherlands are also on the list.

Italian Ruggero Tita, the Nacra 17 world champion, completes the list with a vote set to decide the winner.

Thirty per cent of overall vote will come from the public, while the remaining 70 per cent will come from World Sailing's Member National Authorities.

The winners will be announced October 30, at the World Sailing Awards Ceremony in Sarasota, Florida. 

The 2018 awards will also include the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award, the Team of the Year Award and the Boat of the Year Award for the first time.

Previous recipients of World Sailor of the Year include Britain's Ben Ainslie in 1998, 2002, 2008 and 2012 and compatriot Ellen MacArthur in 2001.

Last year's winners were New Zealand's Peter Burling and Marit Bouwmeester of The Netherlands.

The prizes are considered as one of the top individual accolades in sailing.