Bryan Willis is being inducted into the Hall of Fame for his dedicated service as a Chairman and as a member of America’s Cup International Juries and Arbitration Panels. He has also served as a rules advisor on multiple Cup campaigns during his impressive career that has spanned 33 years, from the 12-Metre Era in 1980 to the Multi-Hull Era in 2013.
Always patient and thoughtful, Willis guided many America’s Cup Juries and Arbitration Panels through difficult and demanding decisions. The work of a Cup juror and arbitrator is not easy. It requires making adjudications affecting highly motivated individuals. Considerable pressure and stress are put on the people making important decisions that can make the difference between winning and losing the Cup. Being invited back to serve on successive America’s Cup Juries and Arbitration Panels is a clear testament to the high quality of Bryan’s work. Competitors, race officials, and regatta organizers all hold him in extremely high regard.
Willis’s work has also transcended the America’s Cup. He has served with distinction as an international juror, international umpire, and as a rule administrator for World Sailing. An excellent communicator, he has authored books on The Racing Rules of Sailing and dispute resolution that have educated and informed generations of sailors and officials at all levels of the sport.
