The American Sailboat Hall of Fame is a defunct hall of fame honoring 26 production sailboats built-in the United States. The hall of fame was established in 1994 by Sail America, a trade association for the U.S. sailing industry, to recognize ingenuity in designs by American boat builders. The last year of induction was 2004.
Half-hull models of each Hall of Fame inductee was housed in a permanent exhibit at The Museum of Yachting located in Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island prior to the museum's dismantling after a 2007 acquisition by the IYRS School of Technology & Trades. The collection also traveled around the country each year to be displayed at the various Strictly Sail boat shows sponsored by Sail America, and at Sail Expo in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Inducted sailboats were required to be production models built in the U.S. introduced at least 15 years prior to induction, and to have made a lasting impact on sailing. Selections to the hall of fame were made by a committee composed of magazine editors of Sailing Magazine, Sailing World, and SAIL.
Inductees Inductee year inducted Aqua Cat 2001 Bermuda 40 1995 Cal 40 1996 Catalina 22 1995 Catalina 30 2001 Day Sailer 2003 International Optimist Dinghy 1999 Ensign 2002 F-27 2004 Flying Scot 1998 Freedom 40 2000 Hobie 16 1997 J/24 1995 J/35 1999 Laser 1997 MacGregor 25 2000 Morgan Out Island 41 1996 Pacific Seacraft 37 2002Pearson Triton1995 Sabre 28 2003 Santa Cruz 27 1997 Sonar (keelboat) 2004 Sunfish 1995 Tartan Ten 1998 Valiant 40 1997Windsurfer 1996
See also National Sailing Hall of Fame ISAF World Sailor of the Year Awards List of maritime museums in the United States
Footnotes
References US Boats Magazine(online) Retrieved 1/7/07 Sail Magazine (online), New Old Boats, Retrieved 1/7/07 Sailing Magazine (online), Full and By, Bill Schanen, Retrieved 1/7/07 Practical Sailor Magazine, Retrieved 1/7/07 Boat US (online boat review) retrieved 1/7/07 Strictly Sail (website), 15 November 2003,11th Annual Atlantic SAIL EXPO Draws Crowd of 13,000, retrieved 1/7/07
Description of Award - Sail America Marston, Red (May 3, 1996). "Kudos to sailboat designer Morgan". St. Petersburg Times, p. 8C. Staff. (June 25, 1996). "East Bay Briefings". Providence Journal-Bulletin, p. 3C.
External links The American Sailboat Hall of Fame Sail America