The Newport Beach Sailing Hall of Fame

I would like to introduce to you the Newport Beach Sailing Hall of Fame. My interest in our Harbor's history has always grabbed my attention and affection. So yeah, I like doing this kind of stuff. I started with the Newport Harbor Yacht Club history book, three yacht club roster books and my phone. I interviewed David Carol, Phil Ramser, Larry Somers, Don Ayers, Brad Avery, Tom Schock, Henry Sprague, Jane Farwell, George Twist, Dennis Durgan and Dave Ullman.  To qualify, inductees into the Newport Beach Sailing Hall of Fame must have spent most of their lives competing in or Harbor. Their attendance would most certainly increase boat's performance, and I recognized their advance skill level in the sport of sailing.

This is a living document and will be amended as more information is gathered and better photos added. If I have the information or have forgotten someone you feel should be added, Please do not hesitate to contact me at Boseyachts@mac.com

A sailor's story is always an interesting one....quite often funny and sometimes sad. I had my share of laughs and tears while researching and writing this. I hope you enjoy it and are inspired to see your name or that of a loved one on the list.

                                                                                                 Respectfully Len Bose 1991 

The Silent Generation from 1925-1945

Walton Hubbard

Walton Hubbard: 1927 Star World Champions Active boat builder” Walton Hubbard pronely did more to develop new yachtsmen and new yachting activities within the range of everyone. Famous Star boat builder, Falcons, Albatross, Rhodes 33 He owned South Coast Boatyard He passed away at the age of 36.

Dick McKibben

Dick McKibben: Was the first winner of the first two Flight of the Snowbirds in 1936 & 1937. McKibben boat was named after his mother’s nickname  “Wa-Wa.” 1937 was a good year for McKibben winning the Staff Commodore IB Potter Perpetual  which is a high point series for the Snowbird fleet. He also won the Griffith Trophy that same year. McKibben was also apart of the crew of Walt Elliot’s Cal 32 “Escapade” 5 Time Lipton Cup winner. 

Left to right Hook Beardslee & Barney Lehman

Harlan (Hook) Beardslee:  1934-35 won two Star internationals/Worlds with Barney Lehman. It was written that in a Star Mid-winter regatta that Beardslee withdrew from a race because he had fouled another competitor, who did not file the protest Beardslee withdrew. “The Rhodes class always showed up with a sizable fleet, but the race was usually for second place when Hook was sailing his # 8 Seabee” Won 9 out of 10 Rhodes 33 Championships between 1939 & 49. Tom Schock said, “He was a man of very few words, he was bigger than life.” NHYC Burgee of Merit Winner

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Barton Beek:  Flight of The Snow Bird winner and top Star sailor. “Under that crusty exterior was a huge heart (even with the pacemaker). With Linda by his side, Barton participated and showed us all what it was like to be a true competitor in the corinthian spirit. The Star Class was his passion and one of the reasons it remains THE CLASS of yacht racing after 90+ years is the dedication and spirit of guys like Barton” quote from The Star Class web page. 3rd Place 1976 Star Worlds, Star Baxter Bowel Winner 1979 & 86. Lehman 10 Lehman 12 champion. He was a BYC Sportsman of the year and NHYC Burgee of Merit recipient. 

Fred Schenck

Fred “ Mr. Snipe” Schenck: “Was one of the best dingy sailors come out of the harbor.” Dave Carol said. When Humphrey Bogart was racing Lehman 10’s, Bogart asked Schenck if Bacall could sail with him to learn more. Schenck was 19 years old and had seen photos of Bacall, yet in person, she was even more beautiful. “She was something else.” Said Schenck. He was the sailing master Circus II for Howard Ahmanson and sailed to Hawaii in the Trans Pac race. According to Dave Carol, he could sail anything. Dragons off the coast of Spain, part of the crew of Walt Elliot’s Cal 32 “Escapade” five Lipton Cup Wins. Lehman 12 sailor. Won the Snipe Worlds once and crewed in the worlds 4 times, won Lehman 12 Champs 1963 & 65, NHYC Burgee of Merit

Don Elder

Don ( D.K.) Edler: Part of the crew of Walt Elliot’s Cal 32 “Escapade’ won the Lipton Cup 5 times, 1964 Won the Star world championships. 2nd Star worlds 1960, Star Baxter Bowl Winner  1956, 57 and 61, active Lehman 12 sailor National Champion Lehman 12 1961, Tom Schock: Big man, “When Edler talked everyone listened” A lot like John Wayne walked and talked like.” NHYC Burgee of Merit Winner

Tom Frost

Tom Frost:  Quoted from Sea Magazine “A sailing whiz kid, 19-year-old Tom Frost from Newport Beach, Calif. Won the Snipe Nationals for the second year 1953 & 54 in a row. His record of two firsts, a second, a third, and a fourth against the country's top 24 Snipe sailors makes him a crown prince among small-boat skippers.  Sept 14 1952, The Newport-Balboa News-Times: “Tom Frost has done it again! The Newport Harbor schoolboy, who placed second in the World’s Snipe Sailing Championships off Monaco along the French Riviera last week, today holds the honor of being the Snipe sailing champion in the International Regatta, at San Remo Italy. Tom and his crew Fred Schenck. In 1950 & 51 Frost was NHYC Junior Champion and Flight of the Snowbirds winner. Tom Schock said, “Greatest small boat sailor that ever was.” NHYC Burgee of Merit recipient.

Dick Deaver

Dick Deaver: “Probably one of the best sailors in the Harbor,” Said Dave Carol, He sailed PCs, with Lowell North. Two-time winner of the flight of the snowbirds 1949 and 50. 1976 & 78 Congressional Cup winner. Won Bronze metal Dragon Class 1964 Olympics. A crew member of three Trans Pac winning teams. Winner of the 1976 One Ton Worlds and skipper of an Admirals Cup Team in 1979. Best known for being apart of the beginning of North Sails and being very thorough in his racing preparation BYC Wall of Recognition.

Bill Ficker

Bill Ficker: 1957 Star North American Championships 2nd ,1958 Star Baxter Bowl, 1958 Star World Champion Winner, 1962 Lehman 12 National Champion, 1970 America Cup winner aboard “Intrepid”, 1974 Congressional Cup Winner 1974. Lehman 10 & 12 competitor,

George Twist “ He was a very meticulous, thoughtful personal person without natural talent very organized and knew what he needed to do”. Peter Wilson said, “Ficker had a unique way of motivating the crew. He wanted all of us to decide how best to do our jobs,”. NHYC Burgee of Merit Winner, Two-time BYC Sportsman of the Year recipient. 1993 America’s Cup Hall of Fame, 2016 US Sailing Hall of Fame.

The Baby Boomers from 1946-1964

TC

Tom Corkett: Grew up sailing Snowbirds in our harbor, 1963 at the age of 21 he won the Trans Pac overall and became the youngest skipper to compete and win, 1969 1st Class 2nd Overall Transpac, 1967 & 68 1st in class Acapulco Race, 1964 & 65 Mazatlan Race 1st in Class, 1966 2nd overall 1st in class. 1992 Pacific Cup Double Handed winner aboard the 60’ “Peregrine”. Was active in the Etchells fleet and today is very competitive in the Harbor 20 fleet. NHYC Burgee of Merit recipient.

Henry Sprague

Henry Sprague III. Two Time winner of the Flight of the snowbirds, 1961 Sailed with Tom Shock  in the Sears Cup, 1963, he won the Sears Cup with George Twist, 1974 Finn National, and World Championships. 1969 Congressional Cup winner, Lehman 12 Champ 69,73, 74,76,77. Now known as “Super Sprague”, Tom Schock described Henry as “Pure natural sailor.” 1967 Collage Singlehanded National Championships for USC, George Twist “ When it was his turn on the tiller the boat seemed to go a little faster”. Known as a natural sailer, Two-time winner of NHYC Burgee of Merit.

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Fred Miller: Finn National Champion 1960 & 1961 and North Americans champion in 1961. Placed 3rd in  Finn World Champions, Active Snipe Sailor.  Henry Sprague described Miller as  the “Original Harbor Columnist five days a week in the Daily Pilot, true Guinness, went undefeated, continuously smoked  “Salam” cigarettes. Was known as a perfectionist and would help people organize their boats for side work.”

Nina Nielsen

Nina Nielsen: Snowbird champion, 1969 Jr. Sabot National Champion. 1969 Balboa Sabot fleet Joe Wells Perpetual winner. 3rd 1976 Adams Cup; Dick Sweet recalled “My bravest student was Nina Nielsen. Nina was so small that she didn’t have enough weight to keep the boat upright. Because of this, she would tip over nearly every day, but she never complained or called for help. Nina was the smallest girl with the smallest voice and the biggest heart that he had ever seen sailing. Nina later went on  to win the Intercollegiate sailing championships three times for Princeton and become the first.  Top Snowbird and Lehman 12 sailor, Active Etchells sailor.

Scott Allen

Scott Allen: Flight of the Snowbird winner. 1968 & 69  College Sailor of the year, 1967 Cal 40 class winner Trans Pac with14 boats in his division. Prince of Wales winner 1967 and Congressional Cup winner 1967,  NHYC Burgee of Merit Winner.

The Durganizer

Dennis Durgan: Grew up as an active Sabot and Lehman 12 sailor within the harbor. “If you can make your Sabot go fast you can pretty much make anything go fast,” Durgan said. He was tactician for Bill Ficker 1974 and Dennis Conner 1975 Congressional Cup Winner. Congressional Cup-winning skipper in 1979 and 1980. In 1980 he was Dennis Conner’s tactician aboard Freedom for an Americas Cup win. Sailed in the 1979 Fastnet Race “ I learned a lot about myself on that one Len” Durgan said while interviewing him. 1991 Trans Pac Overall Skipper aboard Chance. Two time Lipton Cup-winning skipper 1978 & 1991 NHYC Burgee of Merit Winner.

Sawyer,Twist, Duffield, Durgan

George Twist: Americas Cup with Ficker in 1970 aboard Intrepid, 1961won the Sears Cup as crew with Tom Schock, In 1963 Won the Sears Cup as crew with Henry Sprague, Crewed on the 1973 Lipton Cup Boat, Came in 5th in the 1987 Soling World Championships, Competitive Finn sailor, 1973 Lehman 12 Champ, Etchells Fleet 6 Champion 1976,77,79,  Etchells 22 North American Champion 1982 . 2019 Flight of Newport Beach Harbor 20 5th Place “Was one of the best crew members in town, he was a really top notch crew. Every boat he stepped on always seemed to go faster”.  Tom Schock. “Twist was my best friend, we dominated everyone that sailed in the same water as we did”. Henry Sprague

Terry & Duffy Duffield

Marshall “Duffy” Duffield: 1973 & 77 Lipton Cup Team winner. 1979 & 80 Congressional Cup Crew with Durgan, Trans Pac 1991 MVP award aboard Chance the Overall winner.

Burke Sawyer: Best known as the owner of Watts sails and big boat sailing. 1958 Flight of the Snowbirds winner, 1968 Prince of Wales skipper winner. Sailed with top Cal 32 sailors,1972 Acapulco Race 1st class, 2nd overall. Tom Schock: “He really bloomed into a world-class sailor when he took over Watts sails sailing on the different IOR boats around the world.”

Campbell at the tiller

Argyle Campbell: Grew up a harbor Sabot sailor at the age of 8, Lehman 10 & 12 competitor, Congressional Cup winner in 1970 & 72. Four-year Intercollegiate All American at USC, 2001 Melges 24 National Champion, 2011 Etchells Worlds Grand Master winner, 2015 Etchells Jaguar Series Winner, 2nd Place in Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Championships 2018 & 19. It has been said, by more than one of the interviews I did, that Campbell started very young and lost every race but he kept at it and became one of harbors best. He really, really worked at it.“Persistent yet consistent” BYC Sportsmen of the year award and BYC Wall of Recognition

Tom Schock

Tom Schock: Grew up sailing snowbirds on the harbor. Participated in 1961 & 1962 Sears Cup. 1959 Thistle Fleet, District, and Pacific Coast Champion, Intentional 14, Lehman 12,Lido 14, Harbor 20 Champion, 1998 Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Champion. George Twist “ He is persistent and kept going at it.”

Dave Ullman

Dave Ullman Grew up sailing Prams and  Balboa Dinghies on the Harbor, active Lehman 10 & 12 competitor, Lido 14 National Champion 9 times, Three-time World Champion in  470s 1977,78 & 80. Snipe National Championships 1973, Thistle, Sabot and Coronado 15 National Champion, Gold metal Snipe in Pan American Games 1975. US Sailing Champion of Champions 1980, 5-time winner of the Lipton Cup, US Team Racing Championships, Melges 24 World Championships in 2007, Rolex Yachtsman of the year in 1996, 2016 Sailing Hall of Fame. Four-time winner of BYC Sportsman of the year award.

Tim Hogan

Tim Hogan: Grew up sailing Snowbirds and Sabots on the harbor. Active Lehman 12 Team racing sailor, 1962 Junior Champion, Three time-All- American, 1969 “College Sailor of the year” Competed in twenty-two sailing events and won twenty. 1972 Prince Of Wales winning skipper, Won the 1973 Lipton Cup Team. 1972 North American Match Racing Championships Prince of Wales, Santana 20 National Champion 1977, 1988 Etchells North American win, 1980 Lipton Cup win, Competitive Finn sailor, NHYC Burgee of Merit

Jim Buckingham

Jim Buckingham: Grew up sailing Sabots on the harbor. 1979 Intercollegiate All-American. Competitive world Star and Etchells sailor, Five-time Lehman 12 National Champion 1982,83,85,88 and 89. Top of the Harbor 20 Fleet 1 in A fleet, Placed 4th in 2019 H20 Class Champions. As crewed in Trans Pac and Cabo offshore racing.

Bill Menninger

Bill Menninger: 1980 J24 Nationals 3rd, 1982 J24 Worlds 6th, 5th 1987 E22 Worlds, 1st 2016 Master Regatta, Crewed on 3-Lipton Cup winning Teams, Crewed on 4 Baldwin Cup wins, Harbor 20 Fleet Champion 2008,10,11,12,13,17, Harbor 20 Class Champion 2019

Gaudio        Photo provided by Joysailing.com

Mark Gaudio: Grew up sailing Sabots and never left home. Won the Jr Sabot Nationals in 1972 First Flight of the Laser winner, Won Senior Sabot Nationals (17 ) Times, (4) Lido-14 Nationals, (1) Cal 25 Nationals, (4 ) Cal 20 Nationals, (1) B-25 Nationals and (4 )Harbor 20 Fleet Championships in 2004, 05 and 06. Spends most of his time now on the water coaching the Jr. Sabot Sailors.

Ann & Kurt Wiese

Ann and Kurt Wiese: Kurt sailed sabots as a kid in the harbor and was Intercollegiate All- American in 1977 and 78. He and Ann have sailed Lehman 12, Lido 14’s and Harbor 20's for over forty years together in the harbor. Always being at the top of the fleet in each class, never winning a class championships. Although it is a safe bet that they have won more one-design regattas than everyone on this list.

Generation X

Nick Scandone

Nick Scandone.  Grew up sailing Sabots on the harbor. 1988 Sabot National Champion, Lido 14 Competitor, 1988 UCI National Champion, and Team Race National Champion, Intercollegiate All- American, 1991 470 North American winner, 2005 2.4 Metre World Champion, 2nd Place IFDS Sailing World Championships,  2008 Beijing Paralympic Games Sailing Gold Medal, National Sailing Hall of Fame, US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the year, NHYC Burgee of Merit, BYC Sportsman of the Year and Wall of  Recognition,  BCYC Kennedy Memorial. Scandone is the only person to have won NHYC, BYC and BCYC top awards.

Jon Pinckney Center

Jon Pinckney: Grew up sailing sabots on the Harbor, Won the Junior Sabot Nationals in 1980, (7) Time Flight of the Laser winner, (1) The Flight in Harbor 20’s. Four-Time Intercollegiate All- American 1986,87,88, and 89. 2016 Lipton Cup Skipper, 2014,15 and 16 Harbor 20 Fleet Champion. Baldwin Cup Winning Team in 2014,15 and 16. Phil Ramser said, “Best sailor I have ever seen on our harbor.”

Mike Pinckney

Mike Pinckney: Grew up sailing Sabots on the harbor. 1983 Intercollegiate honorable mention, 3 Time Intercollegiate All- American 1984,85 and 86. 1988 Sears Cup-winning crew, 2016 Won 50th Anniversary Governors Cup alumni regatta. Mike has spent most of his time coaching Junior programs. When he shows up on the racecourse odds are very good that he is going to win the day. Jack Franco said Mike Pinckney is one of the best he had ever competed against.

Millennial

Justin Law

Justin Law: Grew up sailing a sabot on the Harbor. Twice the runner up in the Sabot Nationals. FJ National Champion, Intercollegiate honorable mention, 3 Time Intercollegiate All- American. Finalist Intercollegiate Sailor of the year. 2017 Trans Pac Division Winner, 2017 Cabo Division Winner, 2015 ISAF Team Racing World Champion. (4) Time Baldwin Cup winning skipper, 2019 Lipton Cup winning Skipper. NHYC Burgee of Merit





Sea ya