National Sailing Hall of Fame reveals inductees

by Jan Harley on 30 Jul 2014 The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) today revealed the eight people who will make up its 2014 class of inductees into the National Sailing Hall of Fame: Yachtsman, historian and senior statesman of the sport Henry H. 'Harry' Anderson, Jr. (Newport, R.I./Mystic, Conn.); mathematician and navigator Nathaniel Bowditch (Salem, Mass.); boat builder and U.S. Olympic Sailing Team boatwright Carl Eichenlaub (San Diego, Calif.); brothers Olaf Harken and Peter Harken (both Pewaukee, Wisc.), respectively, boat builder and sailing hardware designer; naval architect and prolific writer L. Francis Herreshoff (Bristol, R.I./Marblehead, Mass.); 1960 5.5 Metre Olympic Gold Medalist and boat builder George O’Day (Brookline, Mass./Dover, Mass.); and Grand Prix yachtsman John B. 'Jim' Kilroy (Marina del Rey, Calif.), the recipient of the NSHOF’s first Lifetime Achievement Award.

'When the National Sailing Hall of Fame was formed in 2005, a central piece of its mission was to focus attention on Americans who had made outstanding contributions to the sport of sailing,' said Gary Jobson, President of the NSHOF. 'The eight members of the class of 2014 are joining 34 previously-recognized individuals whose achievements – whether on-the-water, at a drafting table or in the administration of the sport – have impacted recreational boaters and competitive sailors alike. By recognizing them and sharing their stories, the NSHOF is preserving the history of the sport and its impact on American culture while inspiring the next generation of sailors.'

Following a two-month period this spring during which sailors from all corners of the country nominated their choice for induction, a selection committee – made up of representatives from US Sailing, the sailing media, the sailing industry, community sailing, a maritime museum, a previous inductee, and the NSHOF Board – reviewed the broad spectrum of nominations.

Inductees are American citizens, 45 years of age or older, who have made significant impact on the growth and development of the sport in the U.S. in the categories of Sailing, Technical/Design and Contributor (coach, administrator, sailing media). Nominations of non-citizens were also considered if they influenced the sport in the U.S., and posthumous nominations were also accepted. The undertaking to recognize Americans who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of sailing is central to the mission of the NSHOF which was formed in 2005 and has completed phase one of its plan to establish a permanent facility on the historic waterfront of Annapolis, Maryland.

The Lifetime Achievement Award will induct an American citizen, 55 years of age or older, who has had consistent involvement in sailing for a majority of his or her life and had success in the sport while also becoming successful and achieving noteworthy stature in a non-sailing career.

The 2014 class of inductees will be formally celebrated on Sunday, September 28, 2014. The invitation-only Induction Ceremony will be held at the Detroit Yacht Club (Detroit, Mich.) and is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Condé Nast.

For more on the Inductees, please click here.