Sills, a windsurfer from Launceston, has made a huge impact in her first full season in the Under 19 Youth RS:X windsurfing class.

She claimed the gold medal at the 2012 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, in Dublin. It was her biggest achievement ever.

Saskia Sills was also crowned 2012 RYA Volvo Youth National Champion, finished third overall in the RS:X Youth European Windsurfing Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, winning the Under 17 category.

The Tavistock College star quickly followed that up with another gold at the Eurosaf Youth Europeans, and then went onto claim the under 17 world title in addition to overall silver, at the RS:X Class Youth Worlds, earning her nomination for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards.

"I feel really honoured to have been shortlisted for this award. I never thought that I would be considered, so when I got the phone call I was pretty excited," revealed Sills.

"I've had a really good first year on the RS:X which was completely unexpected. Being shortlisted means a lot to me as the windsurfing community has had pretty tough year regarding ISAF's decision on whether windsurfing would be in or out of the future Olympics".

Alongside Sills on the ten-strong shortlist are Paralympic medallists Jessica-Jane Applegate, Olivia Breen and Josef Craig, tennis player Kyle Edmund, golfer Georgia Hall, BMX champion Quillan Isidore, Olympic swimmer Siobhan-Marie O'Connor, gymnast Rebecca Tunney and canoeist Kimberley Woods.

The winner will be revealed live at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, taking place at London's ExCel, on the 16th December, 2012.