July 5, 2021

The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) announced today nine sailors comprising its 11^th anniversary class of inductees.

The Class of 2021 includes

• Alexander “Red” Bryan and Cortlandt “Bud” Heyniger – founders of Alcort, Inc. and designers and producers of the iconic Sunfish.
• William “Carl” Buchan – championship sailor, Olympic gold medal winner and 1988 defender of the America’s Cup.
• Agustin “Augie” Diaz – Rolex Yachtsman of the Year; Star, Snipe, and Laser World Champion; and 505 North American Champion.
• Gilbert T. Gray – Olympic gold medalist in the Star Class debut Olympiad, race official and chief measurer.
• Lynne Jewell Shore – one of the first women to win an Olympic gold medal in sailing, Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and former Executive Director of Sail Newport.
• Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce – the founder of the U.S. Naval War College (1884) and leading educator on seamanship and training for the Navy.
• Jane Wiswell Pegel – a three-time Martini & Rossi (now Rolex) Yachtswoman of the Year and winner of several National and North American Championships in sailing and iceboating.
• Dawn Riley – the first woman ever to manage an America’s Cup syndicate and the first American to sail in three America’s Cups and two Whitbread Round the World (now The Ocean Race) races.
• Richard “Dick” Rose – a thirty-year member of World Sailing’s Racing Rules of Sailing Committee, he is considered “the” international authority on the Racing Rules of Sailing.
• The Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2021 is Captain William D. “Bill” Pinkney, the first African American to solo-circumnavigate the world via the Capes.

“The remarkable achievements of this year’s class exemplify excellence and an unwavering dedication to our sport,” said Gus Carlson, president of the National Sailing Hall of Fame. “We are proud to honor the accomplishments of these extraordinary people and confident they will inspire future generations of sailors, innovators and contributors.” 

The members of the Class of 2021 join 90 current Hall of Famers, all of whom will be featured in the Legends of Sailing exhibition at The Sailing Museum, which is scheduled to open in May of 2022. 2021 marks the eleventh year of annual induction to the National Sailing Hall of Fame. For more on the inductees, please visit: nshof.org/hall-of-fame.

The Class of 2021 will be formally celebrated on Saturday, October 16, 2021 with an Induction Ceremony in Newport, RI. The event will be held in the newly renovated Armory Building, former site of the international press corps during the 12 Metre America’s Cup era in Newport and future home of The Sailing Museum. The traditional Induction Ceremony will also honor members of the Class of 2020 who were honored in a virtual ceremony in 2020. The Induction Weekend has become notable as a reunion of sailing’s Who’s Who as previous inductees join the celebrations to welcome their peers into the Hall of Fame. Those expected include; Malin Burnham, Robbie Haines, Peter Harken, Gary Jobson, Bob Johnstone, Dave Perry, Mark Reynolds, John Rousmaniere, Tom Whidden and others.

The inductees were nominated by sailors from across the United States. Nominations were reviewed by a selection committee comprised of representatives from the NSHOF Board, previous inductees, the sailing media, the sailing industry, community sailing, a maritime museum, the cruising community and US Sailing. Nominations are accepted year-round at nshof.org/nominations. The deadline for Class of 2022 nominees is January 31.

Nominees must be American citizens, 55 years of age or older, who have made a sustained and significant impact on the growth and development of the sport in the United States at a national or international level in the following categories:

• Sailing – Recognizing achievements made on the water as a sailboat racer, cruiser or offshore sailor.
• Technical – Recognizing those who have significantly contributed to the technical aspects of sailing. Examples include designers, boat builders, sailmakers, etc.
• Contributor – Recognizing those who have made other significant contributions to the American sailing experience. Examples include teachers, coaches, administrators, media (including authored works, TV, film, etc.), artists, musicians, promoters and organizers.

Nominees for the Lifetime Achievement Award must be American citizens, 55 years of age or older, who have achieved success in sailing and outside of sailing and have given back to the sport in some significant manner. Lifetime Achievement Award recipients are selected by the NSHOF Board of Directors.

(Image, from top left moving clockwise: Alexander Bryan and Cortlandt Heyniger, William Carl Buchan, Agustin Diaz, Gilbert T. Gray, Lynne Jewell Shore, Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce, Jane Wiswell Pegel, Captain William D. Pinkney (Lifetime Achievement), Dawn Riley and Richard Rose.)