Tauranga's Peter Burling and yachting partner Blair Tuke have been awarded the most prestigious award in sailing - the ISAF Rolex Sailor of the Year award.

The award is the highest recognition any sailor can receive to mark their outstanding achievements.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have won the ISAF Rolex Sailor of the Year award. Photos: Supplied.

The honour was bestowed on the pair at a dinner ceremony in Sanya, China overnight, after what amounts to a remarkable year of sailing achievements.

'We are really proud to receive this award,” said an elated Blair Tuke.

'Some great sailors and legendary Kiwis have won in the past, so to be in that sort of company is pretty humbling.”

It's is the second successive year the duo have been nominated for the award, as recognition of their 21 straight regatta wins since 2012 in the Olympic 49er class.

Alongside their Olympic campaign, the pair have been a vital part of a new look Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series.

A second at the first leg in Portsmouth, turned into victory a few weeks later in Gothenburg, followed by a very close second in Bermuda to give the team a dominant lead the and overall advantage in the 2015 series, which carries through to the 2017 America's Cup.

'It has been a great year for us in the 49er, the moth and America's Cup,” admits former Tauranga Boys' College student Burling.

'But we have some pretty big goals over the next few years with the Olympics and the America's Cup on the horizon, so there is no shortage of motivation to keep pushing on to try and improve our yachting.”

Burling and Tuke were not present to accept the award in Sanya, China as they are in Argentina preparing for next weeks 49er World Championships.

The winners are selected by the ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs), the national governing bodies for sailing around the world, by a process of voting prior to the event and on the night of the awards.