The America's Cup Hall of Fame inducts Josh Belsky, Bob Fisher, Kevin Shoebridge and Juan Vila
by Herreshoff Marine Museum 17 Oct 15:10 BST
Museu Marítim © Daniel Forster © America’s Cup Hall of Fame
Four new inductees joined the America's Cup Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at Barcelona's historic Museu Marítim during the 37th Match for the America's Cup.
Joining the ranks of more than 100 men and women who have shaped the 173-year competition for the world's oldest international sporting trophy are:
- Josh Belsky (USA)
- Bob Fisher (GBR)
- Juan Vila (ESP)
- Kevin Shoebridge (NZL)
In addition, the Sir Richard Francis Sutton Medal, an occasional honour given to those who have exemplified the spirit of "friendly competition between foreign countries" enshrined in the America's Cup's founding principle, was awarded to:
- Vincenzo "Cino" Ricci (ITA)
- Louis Vuitton (FRA)
America's Cup Hall of Fame Chairman Steven Tsuchiya commented. "The Class of 2024 is a perfect representation of the Hall of Fame and the magic of the America's Cup. They join the other legends of the America's Cup, and we thank them for the tremendous impact they have made on the sport."
Winning America's Cup tactician and Hall of Fame inductee (2003) Gary Jobson (USA) was Master of Ceremonies at the gala which was presented by L'Oréal Groupe. According to Jobson, "The magnificent museum hall was filled with a who's who of sailing. Everyone listened to the heartfelt acceptance speeches with great appreciation for the achievements of the Class of 2024 America's Cup Hall of Fame Inductees."
In his wrap up of the evening's proceedings, Herreshoff Marine Museum/America's Cup Hall of Fame President & Executive Director Bill Lynn thanked presenting sponsor L'Oréal Groupe, and offered his congratulations to the winners. "To Cino Ricci and our friends at Louis Vuitton, congratulations for being honored with the Sir Richard Francis Sutton Medal. It is safe to say that the America's Cup would not be the same without your involvement. To Josh, Kevin, Juan, and the Fishers, you're an inspiration to everyone in this room. Whatever the game might be, you've played it the right way with great success. Congratulations on your well-deserved induction into the America's Cup Hall of Fame."
The America's Cup Hall of Fame Class of 2025 and the location of the induction gala will be announced in early 2025.
America's Cup Hall of Fame Class of 2024
Josh Belsky (USA) (b. 1966)
Josh Belsky sailed with five America's Cup teams, winning the Cup three times: aboard Bill Koch's defender America 3 in 1992 and with Ernesto Bertarelli's Swiss Alinghi team as the successful challenger in 2003 and defender in 2007.
Growing up in Rye, New York, Josh began sailing at age five and had an immensely varied career as one of the most sought-after race crew, counting victory in the 1988-89 Volvo Ocean Race aboard EF Language with skipper Paul Cayard USA.
When not racing, Josh proved to be a vital liaison between designers, sailors, and builders. He facilitated the process of optimizing the deck layout of his team's boats, balancing the designers' vision, the crew's needs, and the practicalities of construction.
In joining the Hall of Fame, Josh recognizes the roles played not just by sailors and designers but also by the shore-based roles vital to a successful campaign.
Bob Fisher (GBR) (1935 - 2021)
The America's Cup became a significant part of Bob's life from his childhood days in Brightlingsea, Essex, where the local fisherman wore jerseys bearing the names of the 1930s' J-Class yachts which they raced in summer, to witnessing his first Match in 1970 in Newport, Rhode Island.
In print, on radio and on TV, Bob was prolific chronicler of the America's Cup, culminating in his two-volume work, An Absorbing Interest, published in 2007. The 544-page history became an authoritative work for every Match from 1851 to 2007. It includes exhaustive extracts from correspondence between many Cup competitors, some made public for the first time thanks to Bob's 15 years of diligent research in archives and interviews.
He also re-set opinion about the Earl of Dunraven's challenges with Valkyrie 11 and 111 in 1893 and 1895 through reading Thomas Wyndham-Quin's personal papers in the Dunraven family archive in Ireland. This directly led to the 3rd Earl's induction in the Hall of Fame in 2016, more than a century after the controversial 1895 match.
Bob wrote or co-authored more than 30 books, including 12-metre Images which showcased his own photography of the former America's Cup class.
Juan Vila (ESP) (b. 1961 in Barcelona)
Impressively, Juan has participated in 10 consecutive America's Cup campaigns, starting in 1992 in with the Espana 92 team in San Diego to the current 37th Match hosted in his hometown of Barcelona.
He has raced in five America's Cup matches, winning three times with the Swiss Alinghi team in 2003 and 2007 in Auckland and Valencia as the onboard navigator and with Oracle Team USA in San Francisco in 2013, where he was a shore-based meteorologist and electronic systems specialist. The 2003 win is especially treasured by Juan as Alinghi's victory saw the America's Cup won by a European challenger for the first time.
A civil engineering graduate of the Universitat Politècnica de Barcelona, his skills with electronic and performance systems made-him an in-demand navigator, analyst and all-round sailor.
He competed in the Whitbread/Volvo Ocean Race five times, starting with the 1989/90 edition. In 2002/3 he won aboard the German entry, illbruck, becoming the first Spanish sailor to win the famous round the world race.
Kevin Shoebridge (NZL) (b. 1963)
Kevin has been a vital part of four America's Cup winning campaigns- not only being in the race crew in New Zealand's first ever challenge aboard KZ-7 in Fremantle in 1987. He was also a trimmer aboard NZL-32 when the Kiwis won the America's Cup for the first in 1995 defeating Dennis Conner's American defender off San Diego.
Continuity of New Zealand's America's Cup team was broken by the untimely death of Sir Peter Blake in 2001 and the departure of key sailors to the Swiss Alinghi campaign. Kevin re-joined Team New Zealand in 2003 following Grant Dalton's taking over leadership, and two have worked side by side ever since to return the Kiwi team as a formidable force in the America's Cup.
As co-leader of Emirates Team New Zealand, Kevin has been the hands-on manager of the design, construction, sailing and operations of the team.
His quiet demeanour and collaborative style are especially prized, embodying the best of getting things done and maximising potential with fewer resources than teams from other countries. This resulted in Emirates Team New Zealand's successful 2017 challenge in Bermuda and 2021 defence in Auckland.
Like fellow inductees Josh Belsky and Juan Vila, Kevin is a Round the World Race winner, a key crewmember of Sir Peter Blake's 1989/90 victorious Whitbread crew aboard Steinlager 2.
Sir Richard Francis Sutton Medal - 2024 Honorees
Vincenzo "Cino" Ricci (NZL) (b. 1934)
Cino Ricci has the distinction of serving as skipper and project manager of the first Italian team to compete for the America's Cup.
In 1983, his 12-metre Azzurra won 24 out of 49 races, achieving 3rd place finish in the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger trials. This strong performance for a first-time contender on the international stage made sailboat racing popular in Italy.
Cino retired from America's Cup racing in 1987, but he helped sustain the public's enthusiasm for the sport as a broadcast commentator and journalist—inspiring new generations of Italian sailors and neighboring Europeans to compete for the America's Cup. At nearly 90 years old, Cino is retired from sailing, but he remains one of Italy's best-known and best-loved sports figures.
Louis Vuitton (FRA) (founded 1854)
Louis Vuitton arrived on the America's Cup scene in 1983 with a trophy for the Challenger Races for the America's Cup. Since then, the iconic French luxury fashion house has sponsored every challenger series except one (2021) to the point that the brand has become synonymous with the America's Cup challenger selection series.
In becoming the title sponsor of the series, Louis Vuitton brought to the Cup a strong sense of style and positioning as a top-level sporting and cultural event. Its presence attracted other sponsors to both the event and to competing teams. In recent times, Louis Vuitton extended its sponsorship to the Match itself.
The Hall of Fame has inducted the two key individuals who initiated Louis Vuitton's sponsorship of the regatta, Bruno Troublé (Class of 2007) and Henri Racamier (Class of 2019).
The America's Cup Hall of Fame Selection Committee:
- R. Steven Tsuchiya, Chair
- Margherita Bottini
- John S. Burnham
- Brad Butterworth
- William Collier
- Richard Gladwell
- Jack Griffin
- Halsey Herreshoff
- Tim Jeffery
- Gary Jobson
- Andrew Johns
- Murray Jones
- William H. Dyer Jones
- John Lammerts van Beuren
- Ken McAlpine
- Elizabeth Meyer
- Shirley Robertson
- Blue Robinson
- Hamish Ross
- Mike Toppa
- Bruno Troublé
- Tom Whidden