From earning a silver medal at the Olympics to skippering several America’s Cup entries, John Kolius has competed successfully at the highest levels of sailing.

Kolius’s first boat was a Sunfish and he grew up sailing at the Houston Yacht Club through the Ragnot program. In 1968, John won his first major championship, the Sears Cup. He was 17 years old. Two years later at the age of 19, Kolius won the US Sailing Senior Championship for the Mallory Trophy. It was not too long after that he began sailing Solings and preparing for the Olympics. In 1975, John won the Soling North Americans and in 1976 an Olympic silver medal.

Kolius became an America’s Cup competitor in 1983, skippering Courageous against National Sailing Hall of Famers Tom Blackaller in Defender and eventual cup defender Dennis Conner in Liberty. Kolius was recruited for his second Cup effort in 1987, this time as skipper of America II. When the America’s Cup shifted to IACC yachts for the 1992 Cup, Kolius sailed as part of the Italian team, Il Moro di Venezia, in which he placed third at the IACC Worlds in 1991. He coached the team to a second place in the 1992 America’s Cup. America³ recruited Kolius as a coach for their all-woman’s Cup run in 1995. Then when the Cup traveled to New Zealand for the 2000 event, Kolius put together the Aloha Racing Team.

Throughout his sailing career, John has won numerous championship events. He is a two-time winner of the J/24 Worlds (1979 and 1981), the 50-foot World Championships in 1992, the Kenwood Cup in 1994, and the 1997 Admiral’s Cup just to name a few. John was also part of the team that helped kick off the Ultimate 30 Pro Racing Series in the late 1980s and went on to win the Ultimate 30 Championship in 1989.

Kolius learned his sailmaking skills and honed his sailing through mentors Martin Bloodworth, Owen Torrey, Hans Fogh and Buddy Melges. In 1983, Kolius opened the Texas franchise of Ulmer Sails which then became Ulmer-Kolius. Several years later, Kolius sold his franchise, finding himself too busy with America’s Cup events to be able to participate in the business. Ulmer-Kolius then became UK. In the 1990s, Kolius opened Regatta Sports and Rigging, which later became KO Sailing. Currently, Kolius has retired from operating KO Sailing. He continues to coach and support the business in an advisory role.

Accomplishments and Honors