 Harry Nye (bottom right) and crew after winning thePort Huron to Mackinac Boat Race in 1948 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Harry Gale Nye | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1908-02-12)February 12, 1908 Chicago,Illinois | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | September 11, 1987(1987-09-11) (aged 79) Newport Beach,California | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sailing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class | Star | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Harry Gale Nye Jr. (February 12, 1908 – September 11, 1987) was aChicago-born American industrialist, entrepreneur, and world champion sailor. He graduated from theBerkshire School and joined the class of 1933 atYale University where he was a member of the Society ofBook and Snake. Nye, a descendant of the Yale family whose gift founded the university,[1] left Yale prior to his graduation upon his father's death in order to return home to Chicago to become president of the Nye Tool and Machine Works. The Nye Tool had been the plaintiff in a patent infringement case heard by theUnited States Supreme Court in 1923.[2]
In 1933, Mr. Nye together with Jim Murphy founded Murphy & Nye Sailmakers,[3] a business which is today a prominent Italian fashion apparel company and frequent sponsor of and supplier toLouis Vuitton Cup andAmerica's Cup campaigns[4] such asUnited Internet Team Germany and EmiratesTeam New Zealand.[5][6]
Nye was widely regarded as one of the nation's most respected yachtsmen.[7] Nye's yachts aptly donned the family name,Gale. He twice won theChicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac in 1950 and 1951[8] and twice won theStar World Championship in theStar class in 1942 and 1949.[9][10]
Nye won many other international sailing competitions including theBacardi Cup (in 1938, 1940 and 1941), a regatta which was started by theBacardi (rum) family and held inHavana, Cuba in the pre-Fidel Castro era.[11]
In 1946, Nye served withNew York Yacht Club CommodoresHarold Stirling Vanderbilt and W.A.W. Stewart on a subcommittee of the North American Yacht Racing Union (now known asUS Sailing) to write the revised International Yacht Racing Rules, originally codified by Vanderbilt in 1934.[12]
Nye's commitment to the Star Class continued beyond his own active sailing career. He served as Commodore of the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association from 1955 to 1963.[13] Following his death, the Harry Nye Trophy was established and is awarded to individuals whose extraordinary efforts contributed significantly to the success of the Star Class.[14] The winner of the fourth race in the Star World Championship is also awarded the Harry G. Nye Trophy, in honor of Nye's dedication and service to the Star Class.[15]
Nye founded and was president of North American Hydrofoils which designed and built the U.S.'s first commuterhydrofoils, namedEnterprise andEndeavour, in 1961. These two prototype vessels were commissioned to shuttle commuters fromAtlantic Highlands, New Jersey toWall Street inManhattan.[16][17]
The Nye family is one of America's oldest. TheBenjamin Nye Homestead stands as a museum inEast Sandwich, Massachusetts.[18] Harry Nye was descended fromMayflower passengerThomas Rogers.[19]
Harry Nye's oldest child, Julia Gale (Judy) Nye,[20] was married to media mogulTed Turner.[21][22]
Harry Gale Nye Jr. died at Newport Beach, California on September 11, 1987, at the age of 79.
Nye has been nominated posthumously for induction into theNational Sailing Hall of Fame.[23]
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