SAIL Magazine Leadership Award
to Johnstone Family
SAIL Magazine presented the "Industry Leadership Award" to the
Johnstone Family for its many contributions to the sport. Speaking at the magazine’s
reception at SAIL EXPO, Publisher Don MacAuley praised the Johnstone's for their vision in
creating numerous sailing enterprises that have introduced thousands to the sport. This is
the first time that the award has been made to an entire family rather than to an
individual or two.
Among Johnstone family accomplishments over the past 30+ years
making significant contributions to the sailboat world and the marine
industry include the following: the founding of the United States Youth
Sailing Championship (Bob Johnstone); SAIL 75 Wilmette, a successful
community boating program (Bob, Stuart & Drake Johnstone); J World Sailing
School of Newport RI, San Diego, Key West and Annapolis (Stuart, Drake, Jeff
& Phil Johnstone); J Boats, Inc. of Newport RI with their line of
performance keelboats from 22 to 65 feet
which started with the International J/24 (Bob & Rod Johnstone); Sail
Newport of Newport, RI, a successful community sailing program; JY Sailboats of East Lyme CT,
builder of
the JY 15 (Rod Johnstone); Sunfish-Laser of Portsmouth RI,
builder of the Laser, Sunfish, Escape and Olympic 49er (Peter Johnstone);
One-Design 14 Inc, builder of one-design versions of the International 14
(Peter Johnstone); boats.com and yachtworld.com, world's largest
e-commerce/Internet boating sites for the marine industry (Stuart
Johnstone); PURE Boats, builder of carbon-fiber performance RIBS (rigid
inflatable boats) (Peter Johnstone) and Gunboats, builder of 48 to 90 foot
carbon-fiber performance catamarans (Peter Johnstone).
The Johnstones are also very supportive of Women’s sailing. Jeff’s
wife Mary is Chair of US Sailing’s International Keelboat Championship and J Boats
helped sponsor the BOAT US Santa Maria Cup and the recently formed Women’s
International Match Racing Association
Present for receiving the brass cannon award were J/Boats’ founding
partners Bob Johnstone of West Boothbay Harbor ME and Rod Johnstone of Stonington CT. Alan
Johnstone, Vice President of J/Boats, Inc. and Jim Johnstone, J/Boats’ Sales Manager.
Also present from the Johnstone family was Peter Johnstone, former President of
Sunfish-Laser, Inc. Absent were J Boats’ President Jeff Johnstone who sailed in the
20th Anniversary J/24 Midwinters in Key West with 100 boats competing &
David Eck (husband of Wendy Burkhalter Eck, a niece) President of JY Sailboats was also
unable to attend. Others involved in the above businesses are Bobette and John
Johnstone of
Stonington CT as well as Phil Johnstone, J/Boats' Attorney from New London CT.
Other Johnstone family members cited for their past contributions were Clay
Burkhalter of Stonington, CT, Stuart Johnstone of Chicago IL (now Newport,
RI), Drake Johnstone of
Washington DC and Helen Johnstone (in memorium). Bob’s and Rod’s wives, the Rev. Mary and
Lucia Johnstone (respectively) were also honored.
Bob Johnstone commented on receiving the award, "Sailing is the
world’s best family sport. It teaches interdependency, responsibility. It is a shared
adventure, which this family is blessed with carrying into a profession. On behalf of all
families sailing, SAIL should be congratulated in recognizing the role of family in the
sport".
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