Gary Jobson is a world class sailor, television commentator and author based in Annapolis, Maryland. He is President of US SAILING, the National Governing Body of Sailing. Gary has authored 16 sailing books and is Editor at Large of Sailing World and Cruising World magazines.
Jobson has been ESPN's sailing commentator since 1985. He won an A.C.E. (Award for Cable Excellence) for the 1987 America's Cup. In 1988 Jobson won an Emmy for his production of sailing at the Olympic Games in South Korea and won an Emmy for the 2006 Volvo Ocean Race on PBS. He has covered the Olympics five times for NBC. Gary Jobson has won four Southam Awards and one Telly Award. His newest books are titled Classis Yachts, Championship Sailing and A Cats: A Century of Tradition.
He has won many championships in one design classes, the America's Cup with Ted Turner, the infamous Fastnet Race and many of the world's ocean races. In College at SUNY Maritime he was an All American sailor three times and was twice named College Sailor of the Year.
In October 2003 Gary was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame by the Herreshoff Marine Museum. In 1999 Jobson won the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy, US SAILING's most prestigious award. This trophy is awarded annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of sailing in the United States. Gary is the National Chairman of The Leukemia Cup Regatta, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's sailing program.
Over the past thirty-five years Gary has given over 2000 lectures throughout the world. He started his career as a sailing coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Gary is also an active cruising sailor. He has led ambitious expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctica and Cape Horn. He currently races a Swan 42, Mustang, and an Etchells.
Gary and his wife, Janice, have three daughters:
Kristi (25) Harvard '06
Ashleigh (22) Univ. of MD '09
Brooke (22) NYU '09
Gary Jobson Awards
2010 The Hugh Kilmer Trophy - Storm Trysail Club
2009 New York Yacht Club Medal
2009 State University of New York Maritime College Alumni Service Award
2008 Telly Award (Recognizes distinction in creative work in broadcast and non-broadcast video productions)
2007 John Southam Award (2006 Broadcast Category) Awarded by Sail America
2007 John Southam Award (2006 Lecture Series) Awarded by Sail America
2006 National Capital Chesapeake Bay Emmy Awards
2006 CINE Golden Eagle Award (MPT - Volvo Ocean Race Up the Chesapeake)
2006 National Maritime Historical Society Distinguished Service Award
2006 Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame
2006 Steward of the 12-Metre Yacht Club (Newport Station)
2005 Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay (State of Maryland)
2005 Arnold C. Gay Award (Annapolis Yacht Club)
2005 SUNY Maritime College Degree of Doctorate of Letters
2005 Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame
2005 Burgee of Merit (Newport Harbor Yacht Club)
2005 James M. Webster Perpetual Trophy (Southern California Yachting Association)
2004 John Southam Award (2004 Yachting Olympics) Awarded by Sail America
2004 State University of New York Maritime College "Outstanding Graduate" inducted into Heritage Hall
2004 The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Spiral of Life Award
2004 Barnegat Bay Sailing Hall of Fame
2004 Lifetime Achievement Award by Annapolis/Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce
2004 Named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
2003 Herreshoff Museum America's Cup Hall of Fame
2003 Best Sports Book of 2002 (Fighting Finish) Awarded by the Independent Publisher Book Awards in America
2002 Clarion Award for Best Book 2002 (Fighting Finish)
2002 Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame
2002 John Southam Award (Expedition to the Arctic) Awarded by Sail America
2000 City of Annapolis Maritime Heritage Hall of Fame
1999 Nathaniel G. Herreshoff Award (US SAILING)
1997 Joe Prosser Award for Excellence in Sailing Instruction (US SAILING)
1996 State University of New York: Honor Roll
1996 Milwaukee Sailor of the Year
1995 Charles R. Smith Jr. Trophy (Annapolis Yacht Club)
1990 Toms River Regional School's Hall of Fame
1988 Emmy Award (1988 Olympic Games - Yachting)
1988 National Marine Manufacturers Director's Award
1987 Cable Ace Awards (1987 America's Cup)
1983 S.U.N.Y. Maritime College Athletic Hall of Fame
1982 Sailing World Hall of Fame
1977 America's Cup Winning Tactician
1973 SUNY Maritime Parent Association Award for the Cadet Who Contributed the Most to the College
1973 SUNY Maritime College Athletic Association Award to the Outstanding Athlete
1972, 1973 Intercollegiate Sailor of the Year
1971, 1972, 1973 All America Intercollegiate Sailing Team
1966 Powell Trophy (Outstanding Junior Sailor - Barnegat Bay)
