True to its tradition of hosting world-famous sailors, Les Sables d'Olonne, the global capital of single-handed ocean racing, is now home to the International Association of Cape Horners Cape Horn Hall of Fame.
The International Association of Cape Horners (IACH) is calling for nominations to be included in the 2023 Cape Horn Hall of Fame to join the names of 28 famous sailors inaugurated last year at a ceremony held in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, the home of solo sailing.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Chairman of the independent Cape Horn Hall of Fame Selection Committee, says: “This year, we are looking for Cape Horners past and present who have made a significant contribution to the sport of sailing, either solo or leading a crew around the world’s most infamous Cape.”
His committee, which includes veteran French sailor Jean-Luc van den Heede (deputy-chairman), American navigator Stan Honey, and fellow circumnavigators Dee Caffari (UK) and Dilip Donde (India), will review each nomination and select the best 20 names for a vote by members of IACH to determine the final six to be inducted into the 2023 Cape Horn Hall of Fame.
Aug 2022. The first induction of sailors into the Int. Assoc. of Cape Horners (IACH) Cape Horn Hall of Fame, held in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, the permanent home of the IACH Cape Hall Horn of Fame. Left to right: Yannick Moreau, the Mayor of Les Sables d'Olonne; Ashley Manton, Chairman of IACH; Jean-Luc van den Heede, Vice President of IACH. Photo: Tim Bishop/PPL
The Cape Horn Hall of Fame nomination form can be downloaded from the IACH website. Submissions close on April 30, 2023. The 2023 Cape Horn Hall of Fame induction ceremony will occur in Les Sables d’Olonne in September.
“We are very pleased to have the IACH Cape Horn Hall of Fame as a permanent fixture in Les Sables d’Olonne,” says the City Mayor, Yannick Moreau, adding. “The Board of Honour pays tribute to these men and women who have shown such bravery and courage. It has also become a pilgrimage for recipients and their families to visit, building on our reputation and maritime importance as a home for the Vendée Globe and Golden Globe solo round-the-world races.”
Ashley Manton, Chairman of the International Association of Cape Horners, adds, "This is now an important event in the sailing calendar, encouraging future generations to follow in the footsteps of their elders in setting new records in round-the-world sailing”.
Names already honoured on the IACH Cape Horn Hall of Fame
- Willem Schouten (1567-1625), Netherlands
- Jacob Le Maire (1585-1616), Belgium
- Vice Admiral Robert Fitzroy (1805-1865), England
- Capt. Vern Verner Björkfelt (1900-1982), Finland
- Capt. Thomas Carter (T.C) Fearon (1813 - 1869), USA
- Capt. Adolph Hauth, Allemagne
- Capt. Louis Allaire (1880-1949), France
- Alan Villiers (1903-1982), Australia
- Vito Dumas (1900-1965), Argentina
- Marcel Bardiaux (1910-1958), France
- Sir Francis Chichester (1901-1972), England
- Sir Alec Rose (1908-1991), England
- Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (1939-), England
- Bernard Moitessier (1925-1994), France
- Sir Chay Blyth (1940-), Scotland
- Ramon Carlin (1923-2016), Mexico
- Éric Tabarly (1931-1998), France
- Cornelis van Rietschoten (1926-2013), Netherlands
- Dame Naomi James (1949-), New Zealand
- Kay Cottee (1954-), Australia
- Jon Sanders (1939-), Australia
- Philippe Jeantot (1952-), France
- Titouan Lamazou (1955-), France
- Sir Peter Blake (1948-2001), New Zealand
- Dilip Donde (1967-), India
- Stan Honey (1955-), America
- Dee Caffari (1973-), England
- Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (1945-), France
