Annapolis, MD - Nominations for the 2021 cycle will close on Sunday, February 28, 2021. An open and inclusive process, nominations can be made by the sailing community, the marine industry, members of the press and the general public. A single nomination by one person makes that candidate eligible for consideration. “We encourage everyone who shares a passion for the sport of sailing to take part in the nomination process,” said Sally Helme, Selection Committee Chair for the National Sailing Hall of Fame. “Any nominated sailor who meets the criteria, regardless of gender, race, religion, disability or professional vs. Corinthian status, will be a welcome addition to this year’s considerations. Our nomination process is transparent and our By-Laws are posted on our website.”Nominees should be American citizens, 55 years of age or older, who have made significant and sustained impact on the growth and development of the sport in the U.S. at a national or international level. Foreign nationals may also be considered vis-à-vis their impact on U.S. sailing. Nominees are sought in the following categories:
- Sailing – Recognizing achievements made on the water as a sailboat racer, cruiser or offshore sailor.
- Technical – Recognizing those who have significantly contributed to the technical aspects of sailing. Examples include designers, boat builders, sailmakers, etc.
- Contributor – Recognizing those who have made other significant contributions to the American sailing experience. Examples include teachers, coaches, administrators, media (including authored works, TV, film, etc.), artists, musicians, promoters and organizers.
All nominations will be subject to review and acceptance by key members of the Selection Committee. The expert committee is comprised of men and women from the NSHOF Board, previous inductees, the sailing media, the sailing industry, community sailing, a maritime museum, the cruising community and U.S. Sailing. Following this verification and research phase, candidates who qualify will be accepted as nominees and appear on the Nominee page of the NSHOF website. Through the Spring months, the full Selection Committee will then convene to review the merits of all the eligible and accepted nominees, with three Sub-Committees (Sailing, Technical and Contributor) presenting their category recommendations to the full Committee for review and discussion. Committee members then vote on all nominees, and the top candidates for induction are determined in accordance with the scoring system outlined in the NSHOF By-Laws and Rules for Election. The Selection Committee will then present their list of candidates to the Board of Directors for ratification. The National Sailing Hall of Fame Class of 2021 will be announced on or about June 29, 2021. An Induction Ceremony is being planned for October 16th in Newport, Rhode Island. and will celebrate both this year’s inductees, as well as the Class of 2020 who were recognized in a virtual induction ceremony as a result of COVID-19.For a complete list of qualifications and to make a nomination, please visit the https://nshof.org/nominations/. We encourage you to review the lists of Inductees and current nominees to see if your sailing hero is listed before submitting a nomination.
