Recognising Excellence at Sea: Sailing Luminaries Honoured at America's Cup Hall of Fame

Within the grandeur of the Model Room at the New York Yacht Club, the America’s Cup Hall of Fame shall set the stage to recognise a unique group of individuals who have championed the art and science of seafaring. Hailing from different corners of the world, these honourees embody the spirit, skill, and innovation that define the sport. The Hall is set to bestow this recognition upon Glenn Ashby, the Beken Dynasty, Peter Isler, and Lowell North in October 2026. They form a diverse group, bringing together a stellar skipper, a lineage of expert photographers, a stellar navigator, and a sailmaking master.

Glenn Ashby, then, embodies this excellence. This sailmaker par-excellence from the shores of Victoria, Australia, has emerged as a crucial figure in three America’s Cup-winning teams. Armed with a technical prowess borne of his background in sail design, he played instrumental roles in five campaigns. One such highlight was the employment of the 120ft wing-sailed open-class trimaran in the 2010 Deed of Gift match in Valencia. The sport owes much to Ashby, whose innovations have driven its development through some of the most technologically diverse periods in its history.

Unity and diversity underlie the spirit of American Cup Hall of Fame, and the 2026 inductees, Glenn Ashby, the Beken Dynasty, Peter Isler, and Lowell North, each embody these twin principles. Their individual contributions have breathed fresh life into maritime sports, getting hearts to race even on terra firma.