The America's Cup Hall of Fame inducts Larry Ellison, Dirk Kramers, and Dawn Riley

by Herreshoff Marine Museum 22 Oct 2022 07:17 AEDT October 14, 2022

The America’s Cup Hall of Fame to Induct Larry Ellison, Dirk Kramers, and Dawn Riley © Herreshoff Marine Museum

Last Friday evening (Oct 14) at the New York Yacht Club's Model Room, Dawn Riley, Dirk Kramers, and Larry Ellison were formally inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame as the Class of 2022. It was a jubilant evening with standing ovations given to the inductees.

New York Yacht Club Rear Commodore Clare Harrington welcomed the attendees to the Club's 44th Street Clubhouse. The inductees' accomplishments were enumerated by longtime collaborators and talented sailors in their own rights: Katie Pettibone (Riley), John Lammerts van Bueren (Kramers), and Hall of Famer Sir Russell Coutts (Ellison).

"These individuals have had a profound impact on the America's Cup," said America's Cup Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chair Steve Tsuchiya. "Cup legends aren't made overnight. The Class of 2022 inductees have put together bodies of work covering many years and many America's Cup matches. We're thrilled to welcome them to the Hall of Fame!"

Dawn Riley, currently the Executive Director of Oakcliff Sailing, enjoyed a long and successful career as an America's Cup competitor and manager. In 1992, she was pit person of Bill Koch's AMERICA3 defense team, and three years later, she was the team captain of the all-women's America's Cup crew aboard MIGHTY MARY. When the Cup moved to Auckland, New Zealand for the 30th Defense in 2000, Riley organized a challenge named AMERICA TRUE.

Dirk Kramers served as a designer and engineer for eleven America's Cup campaigns, from the 12-Metre era to the foiling catamarans of the 35th America's Cup match in Bermuda. Along the way, Kramers earned an astounding six America's Cup wins on teams run by a slew of fellow Hall of Famers including Dennis Conner, Ted Hood, Bill Koch, Ernesto Bertarelli, Russell Coutts, and Larry Ellison.

Ellison was the architect of the Oracle America's Cup teams that won the Cup in 2010 in Valencia, Spain, and then defended it in style in 2013 with the biggest comeback in AC history defeating Emirates Team New Zealand 9-8 after being down 8-1. 2013 also ushered in the era of foiling multihulls with 72' catamarans screaming around San Francisco Bay at unheard of speeds.

According to America's Cup Hall of Fame President & Executive Director Bill Lynn, "The Class of 2022 gives us three of the most innovative and pioneering members of the Hall of Fame yet, and that's really what the Cup is all about."

The America's Cup Hall of Fame has inducted over ninety individuals since its founding in 1992. Candidates eligible for consideration include members of the crew, designers, builders, syndicate leaders, supporters, chroniclers, and other individuals of merit. Each nominee is judged on the basis of outstanding ability, international recognition, character, performance, and contributions to the sport. The members of the Selection Committee are intimate with the history and traditions of America's Cup and are committed to the integrity of the Hall of Fame.

America's Cup Hall of Fame Inductees, Class of 2022

Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Ellison (USA) (b. 1944)

Larry Ellison's ORACLE Team USA won the America's Cup in Valencia as a challenger in 2010 and defended it successfully in San Francisco in 2013. Both matches were two of the most remarkable in recent times. The 33rd Match in Valencia in 2010 was a so-called "Deed of Gift Match" featuring two extraordinary yachts, multihulls built to the 90ft LWL maximum-limit permitted by the Deed. Ellison's 113' trimaran USA 17 defeated Alinghi's massive catamaran in the match 2-0. USA 17 was powered by a wing-sail towering over 220 feet tall—larger than a wing of a Boeing 747 or an Airbus A380.

Ellison stayed with multihulls for the 2013 defense on San Francisco Bay. Steered by Jimmy Spithill, ORACLE Team USA staged an astonishing comeback, winning eight straight races after being down 8-1 in the first-to-nine-wins series.

The 34th Match in San Francisco transformed the America's Cup in several important ways. Foiling multihulls were introduced, racing was brought inshore, and races were reduced from 90 minutes to 30. Another important legacy of this match was the creation of graphics which could be applied to the live broadcast showing course boundaries, wind direction and strength, and a gain and loss advantage line to boost understanding for non-sailing fans.

Ellison began his America's Cup career with the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup challenger trials in Auckland and then raced in the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup in Valencia. His run of five America's Cup campaigns ended in 2017 when the Kiwis avenged their 2013 loss in Bermuda. An avid sports fan, Ellison also owns the Indian Wells tennis tournament, often called the Fifth Major, and the SailGP series raced in 50' foiling catamarans.

Dirk Kramers (NED/USA) (b. 1952)

Dirk Kramers served as a designer and engineer for eleven America's Cup campaigns, from the 12-Metre era to the foiling catamarans of the 35th America's Cup match in Bermuda. Along the way, Kramers earned six America's Cup wins on teams run by a slew of fellow Hall of Famers including Dennis Conner, Ted Hood, Bill Koch, Ernesto Bertarelli, Russell Coutts, and Larry Ellison.

Born in Hengelo, Netherlands, but now a long-time U.S. national as well, Kramers' Cup career began when he moved to Marblehead, Massachusetts to work for Ted Hood who designed, built and skippered INDEPENDENCE. In 1977, Kramers carried out mast, deck and hardware engineering on her as well as the campaign's other boat, COURAGEOUS—which went onto win the Cup that year.

Kramers started Hall Engineering, an affiliate of Hall Spars, in 1980 for a 14-year stint as managing partner, engineering hundreds of masts and structures. He developed the rig for FRANCE 3 in 1983, and in 1988, he achieved his second America's Cup victory as a designer of the soft-sail rig for Dennis Conner's STARS & STRIPES catamaran. He earned his third Cup win as Chief Engineer for Bill Koch's AMERICA3 campaign in 1992, and he continued with the AMERICA3 Women's Team in 1995 whose Team Captain was fellow Class of 2022 Inductee Dawn Riley.

He was consultant engineer to challenger YOUNG AMERICA in 2000 before joining ALINGHI to resume a run of Chief Engineer roles. The Swiss team was the first challenger to win in its America's Cup debut and the first team to bring the famous trophy to Europe (2003) and they successfully defended the Cup in 2007. Kramers' involvement with technically interesting projects was cemented with his sixth Cup win in 2013 with ORACLE Team USA and the transition to foiling multihulls. In 2017, Kramers continued his Cup career leading the engineering team for Ben Ainslie's BAR Racing. Currently he's working on electric foiling powerboats, alternative concept sailing machines, and various conventional sailing catamarans and monohulls.

Dawn Riley (USA) (b. 1964)

Dawn Riley has enjoyed a long and successful career as an America's Cup competitor and manager. In 1992 she was recruited to join Bill Koch's AMERICA3 defense team, and three years later, she was the team captain of the all-women's America's Cup crew aboard MIGHTY MARY. When the Cup moved to Auckland, New Zealand for the 30th Defense in 2000, Riley organized a challenge named AMERICA TRUE. Her team advanced to the semi-final round of a highly contested series of races for the Louis Vuitton Cup. In 2007 she was the general manager of the K CHALLENGE based out of France.

Riley gained public exposure and valuable experience as a crew member aboard MAIDEN in the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race. The team exceeded expectations and even won the toughest leg of the race in the Southern Ocean. In between her campaigns with AMERICA3 she skippered HEINEKEN in the 1993-94 Whitbread Race. In 1999, Riley was named Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year for winning major championships in both match racing and fleet racing.

Since 2010, Riley has served as the Executive Director of Oakcliff Sailing, an organization dedicated to building American leaders through sailing. She is the third woman to be inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame following Gertrude Vanderbilt and Lucy Jewett. Her persistent advocacy has encouraged many women to spend more time on the water and to own their own boats.

America's Cup Hall of Fame Selection Committee: