Capehorn Hall of Fame Inductees 2023

Les Sables d’Olonne, France, home to the Cape Horn Hall of Fame witnessed the induction of 6 new names to its honours board during the opening of a new clubhouse dedicated to the history of this most famous of all Capes and the sailors who have rounded it.

Organised by the International Association of Cape Horners (IACH), Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, President of the Association, and Yannick Moreau, The Mayor of Les Sables d’Olonne announced the 6 new celebrity Cape Horners.

Dame Ellen MacArthur – UK
Grant Dalton – New Zealand
Skip Novak – USA
Jeanne Socrates – UK
Franck Cammas – France
Michel Desjoyeaux – France

Between them, they have 24 circumnavigations – all of them via Cape Horn – and have set 9 world records.

The awards were held in the Mini-Transat race village within Les Sables d’Olonne where 90 solo sailors will set out on the first stage of their 3,000-mile chase across the Atlantic to Guadalupe on Sunday in their 6.5m yachts. Many of the names short-listed for this year’s awards first cut their ocean racing teeth in this class, including Dame Ellen MacArthur and Michel Desjoyeaux. As Sir Robin Knox-Johnston pointed out: “From little acorns, mighty oaks grow. Some of those taking part in this year’s Mini-Transat Race will become the sailing superstars of the future.”

The Honours Board is now housed in the new Cape Horn Hall of Fame Clubhouse in Les Sables d’Olonne along with memorabilia and history of those who have rounded the Cape. The first pilgrim to visit this shrine to famous sailors past and present, was Kit Villiers, the son of Alan Villiers, one of the last to sail aboard the commercial clipper ships who went on to write books and make films of his adventures.

Ashley Manton, Chairman of the International Association of Cape Horners, explained the voting process: “The IACH Cape Horn Hall of Fame is administered by the International Association of Cape Horners. Anyone can nominate a person to be inducted into the Cape Horn Hall of Fame. The names go before an independent panel of judges chaired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and 10-time circumnavigator Jean-Luc van den Heede who select the top 20 names that go forward to be voted on by the entire IACH membership to select the top 6 inductees each year.”