The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) announced today nine sailors comprising its 11th anniversary class of inductees. The IDNIYRA is pleased to congratulate one of our own, Jane Pegel US805 for this well-deserved honor. More to come.
Jane Wiswell Pegel – a three-time Martini & Rossi (now Rolex) Yachtswoman of the Year and winner of several National and North American Championships in sailing and iceboating.
National Sailing Hall of Fame.
Giving back to the sport has been a prerequisite for Pegel. Her first service oriented post was as the fleet captain of the X Class in 1948. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Phi Beta Kappa, (1955) and helped organize a sailing team. Up until that time the “Hoofers” as it was called was more of a club sport. During the summers she was a sailing instructor at the Lake Geneva Yacht Club, home of another Hall of Fame sailor, Buddy Melges. In 1972 Melges and Pegel were both named Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year – Melges for winning a Gold Medal in the Olympic Games and Pegel for winning the M Scow Class National Championship and several other regattas that season. When asked if the lessons from ice boating apply to Scow sailing Pegel explains “In high performance boats there is a transfer especially on lakes where the wind is shifty. For those who sail fast boats we came alert to that magical thing that made one boat faster. We were forced to learn about design. Sailors that key into the variables that exist in the sport are what makes it so interesting.”
Continue reading Jane’s biography on the National Sailing Hall of Fame website.
Jane Pegel’s DN Statistics
IDNIYRA Commodore, 1961
IDNIYRA North American Championship Regatta
2 first place finishes in 1960 and 1963
7 second place finishes in 1958, 1959, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1978
1 fourth place finish in 1968
1 first place B fleet (Silver fleet) finish in 1981
Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Regatta
DN Class
11 first place finishes in 1960, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1984, 1990
41 times highest placing woman 1958, 1961 – 1963, 1965 -1967, 1969-1977
