On July 11 the National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) announced its nine inductees for 2016. The inductees will be America’s Cup winning helmsman Ed Baird (St. Petersburg, Fla.); legendary sailing champion (Star Worlds, Congressional Cup and America’s Cup) Bill Ficker (Newport Beach, Calif.); husband and wife sail training pioneers, adventurers and authors Irving and Electa “Exy” Johnson (Hadley, Mass.); brothers and J/Boats founders, Robert Johnstone (Newport, R.I.) and Rodney Johnstone (Stonington, Conn.), respectively, marketing guru and boat designer; yachtsman and sailmaker Dave Ullman (Newport Beach, Calif.); as well as America’s Cup sailor and Star World Champion Malin Burnham (San Diego, Calif.) and the innovator behind the modern square rigged superyacht The Maltese Falcon, Tom Perkins (Belvedere, Calif.).
Malin Burnham and Tom Perkins will also both be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award. The nine members of the class of 2016 inductees will join 48 previously-recognized individuals in the National Sailing Hall of Fame, which is continuing to fulfill its mission by recognizing Americans who have made extraordinary contributions to the sport of sailing.
The 2016 class of inductees will be officially celebrated on Sunday, October 30, 2016. The Induction Ceremony will take place at the St. Francis Yacht Club (San Francisco, Calif.) and those attending must be invited to the event “The achievements of this year’s group of inductees – whether on-the-water, at a drafting table, or in teaching and coaching others to succeed in the sport – have at their root a joy of sailing that has inspired and affected countless competitive sailors and recreational boaters,” Gary Jobson, President of the NSHOF, said. “The NSHOF is proudly preserving the history of the sport and its impact on American culture while inspiring the next generation of sailors by recognizing these contributors and sharing their stories.”
After a two-month period during the spring in which sailors from around the country were able to nominate their choice for induction, a selection committee – that consisted of representatives from US Sailing, the sailing industry, sailing media, community sailing, a maritime museum, a previous inductee, and the NSFHOF Board – reviewed the wide range of nominees.
Inductees are American citizens, age 45 or older, who have made a significant impact on the development and growth of the sport in the U.S. in the categories of Sailing, Technical/Design, and Contributor (coach, administrator, sailing media). Non-citizen nominations were considered if they had notably influenced the sport in the U.S. Posthumous nominations were accepted as well. The NSHOF was formed in 2005 and the undertaking to recognize Americans who have made significant contributions to the sport of sailing is central to its mission.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an American citizen, 55 years of age or older, who has been consistently involved and successful in the sport of sailing, while also achieving significant stature in a non-sailing career.
The NSHOF will dedicate the 2016 induction ceremony to the AmericaOne Foundation, which is supportive of sailing on numerous levels, including Olympic Sailing, disabled sailing, and exposing underprivileged youth to sailing. The event will be sponsored by Condé Nast and Rolex Watch U.S.A., as well as Anchor Steam, Dream Yachts, Hawkstone Vineyards, Mount Gay Rum, and Volvo Penta.
