While Bermuda celebrated its historic America’s Cup success, one of the island’s finest sailors turned his thoughts to “the guy who made this whole thing possible”.
It is possible only a select few of the thousands that descended on Front Street last night would have known the name “Jordy Walker”.
But in the eyes of legendary local sailor, Warren Brown, Mr Walker is the reason why the Auld Mug will be handed out in Bermuda in 2017.
“The America’s Cup would not be coming to Bermuda had it not been for Jordy Walker,” he said.
“At a time when there were no shipwrights in Bermuda and the wooden boats were breaking up Jordy continued to make his yachts up in Dockyard for the Gold Cup teams.
“This meant that all these great sailors from the US kept coming back to Bermuda and learned how to sail here.
“If Jordy Walker had not built those boats and allowed the Gold Cup to continue the America’s Cup would never have come here.
“Those great sailors got a taste for Bermuda and got to know the waters through Jordy’s boats and through the Gold Cup.
“His work is the catalyst that brought the America’s Cup here.”
Walker, a former Olympic sailor and ex-Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Commodore, died in December 2010 at the age of 71.
Full story by Simon Jones in the Royal Gazette