National Sailing Hall of Fame Class of 2019

The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) celebrated its ninth class of inductees during ceremonies at the 126-year-old Seattle Yacht Club’s Mainstation, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and located on Portage Bay.

On-hand to welcome the Class of 2019 into their ranks were prior Inductees Gary Jobson, Bob Johnstone and Tom Whidden. The 10 Inductees, including eight posthumous honorees, bring to 81 the number of enshrined heroes of the sport. The National Sailing Hall of Fame continues to fulfill its mission by drawing attention and recognition to Americans who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of sailing.

Inducted to the National Sailing Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2019: passionate sailor whose leadership in establishing safety protocols has had a global impact on offshore sailing, Capt. John Bonds; founder, in 1906, of The Newport Bermuda Race Thomas F. Day; sailmaker Robbie Doyle; Olympic Gold Medalist Buddy Friedrichs; the sport’s first-ever Women’s Olympic Gold Medalist Allison Jolly; clipper ship builder Donald McKay; the grandfather of fiberglass production, Everett A. Pearson; pioneering yacht designer Doug Peterson; magazine editor and publisher Herbert Lawrence Stone.  One additional Inductee, author and world champion sailor, Arthur Knapp, Jr., was recognized with the NSHOF Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Thank you for bestowing this honor on Dad. Whenever he did something he jumped in with both feet, no matter what it was. His faith, his family, his friends and his business. When you got Everett Pearson, you got all of him. There was one that thing that he was very proud of and meant a lot to him. After a conversation with Harry Horgan, who had a dream to get handicapped people out on the water, Everett agreed to build the boat if Harry would build the organization. The boat was the Freedom Independence. The organization was Shake-A-Leg. Dad didn’t want the accolades, he wanted someone else to benefit. On behalf of the family, thank you very much, we appreciate it.”

-Everett Pearson’s son, Mark

“You can’t imagine how honored and humbled I am to be in this group of sailors. I’ve been so fortunate to find those crews, coaches, mentors, not necessarily sailing mentors, and friends, and family, on and off the water, who just enhanced my limited skills and have been an amazing complement to what I brought to the sport. There are too many to thank… Thank you for this incredible honor.”

-Allison Jolly