Dennis Conner
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Dennis Walter Conner (born September 16, 1942) is an American yachtsman. He is noted for winning a bronze medal at the
Sailing career
Conner was born September 16, 1942, in San Diego.[1] He competed in the 1976 Olympics together with Conn Findlay and took the bronze medal in the Tempest class.[1] Conner also took part in the 1979 Admiral's Cup, as helmsman on the Peterson 45 named Williwaw.[2]
America's Cup
Conner has won the America's Cup three times, successfully defending the Cup in
The Big Boat Challenge and the beginning of multihulls in America's Cup
Representing the
Fay's challenge and legal case based on the Deed foreshadowed the controversial 33rd America's Cup, whose legal wrangling resulted in the contest being decided in enormous multihulls in February 2010,
Leadership and management
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (August 2019) |
Before the 1980s, America's Cup competitors were mostly amateurs who took time off from their regular jobs to compete. Conner insisted on year round training with a new focus on physical fitness and practice. This change in approach led to a return to professional crews in sailing, which had hardly been seen since the 1930s.
Funding and setbacks
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (August 2019) |
Perhaps due to the bad media attention surrounding the 1988 catamaran defense, Conner had insufficient funding to mount a multiple-boat defense in 1992, which also heralded the debut of the
Conner again found difficulty securing funding for the 2000 America's Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. As in 1992 and 1995, he mounted a single-boat campaign centered upon Stars & Stripes USA-55. Conner was eliminated in the quarter final repechage by Craig McCaw's OneWorld Challenge.
Conner was a rare non-billionaire fielding a team to compete in the 2003 America's Cup, held in New Zealand, receiving funding of up to US$40 million from his sponsors. His syndicate, Stars & Stripes, suffered a severe setback before they departed California, as one of the two Stars & Stripes boats (USA-77) sank when its rudder post failed during training. Despite raising the boat from 55 feet of water and eventually repairing it, they were unable to recover the valuable testing time lost and they were defeated in the quarter-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup.
2003 marked Conner's last participation in the America's Cup.
Yachting accomplishments
- 3-time winner, America's Cup, 1980, 1987 and 1988
- 2-time loser, America's Cup, 1983 and 1995
- Inductee, America's Cup Hall of Fame
- Captain, two Whitbread Round-the-World races (On boat Winston in 1993-94 and on boat Toshiba 1997–98.) (see Volvo Ocean Race)
- 28 World Championships
- Three-time winner, U.S. Yachtsman of the Year: 1975, 1980 and 1986[5]
- Seven-time winner, San Diego Yachtsman of the Year
- Olympic Bronze Medal winner, 1976[1]
- 4 Southern Ocean Racing Cups
- 2 Congressional Cups
- 1987 ABC Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year
- National Sailing Hall of Fame Founding Inductee in 2011[6]
- Maxi yacht racing
- One of only four American sailors inducted into the ISAF Sailing Hall of Fame
- 2-time winner Etchells World Championship (1991 San Francisco, 1994 Newport Beach)
Honors and activities
- Honorary doctorate from Green Mountain College, 1987
- Honorary doctorate from the Medical College of the University of South Carolina, 1987
- America's Greatest Sailor, US Sailing's Greatest American Sailor Tournament
- Commencement speaker, United States Naval Academy
- Cover of Time magazine, February 9, 1987 [1]
- Cover of Sports Illustrated with President Ronald Reagan, February 1987 [2]
- Artist, sales of artwork in the several millions of dollars
- Motivational speaker
- Member of the San Diego Yacht Club, (Silvergate Yacht Club), New York Yacht Club, Yacht Club de Monaco
- San Diego Rotary
Education
Publications
- No Excuse to Lose, 1987
- Comeback: My Race for the America's Cup, 1987
- Learn to Sail: A Beginner's Guide to the Art, Equipment and Language of Sailing on a Lake or Ocean, 1998
- The America's Cup: The History of Sailings Greatest Competition in the Twentieth Century, 1998
- The Art of Winning, 1990
- Sail Like a Champion, 1992
- America's Cup Cookbook, 1992
- Life's Winning Tips, 1997
References
- ^ a b c "Dennis Conner". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ "rorc.org: "Champagne Mumm Admiral's History - 1979"". Archived from the original on December 12, 2004. Retrieved December 12, 2004.
- ^ Rich Roberts (February 12, 2008). "Think this is ugly? You should have seen 1988". Scuttlebutt News.
- ^ "America's Cup Multihull Battle Set For February 2010". The International Sailing Federation. May 14, 2009. Archived from the original on July 8, 2010.
- ^ "US SAILING - Rolex Yachtsman & Yachtswoman of the Year Awards". Archived from the original on July 15, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
- ^ "Dennis Conner 2011 Inductee". Nshof.org. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
External links
- Official website
- Dennis Conner at World Sailing
- Dennis Conner at Olympics.com
- Dennis Conner at Olympedia