You are here: okdia.org > hall of fame > Paul Elvstrøm

Hall Of Fame:
Paul Elvstrøm - Denmark

Paul Elvstrøm was inducted during the World Championship 2012 in Vallensbæk, Denmark.

Many people know little of his involvement in the class but he had a big influence in design of OK Dinghy rig as well as encouraging growth of class in Denmark and across Europe.

To commemorate the occasion he donated one of his many trophies to the OK Dinghy class to be used at the world championship for the sailor with the least score when counting all the races. Earlier in the evening the trophy had been presented to Andre Budzien, who not only won the 2012 OK Dinghy World Championship with a discard, but also without it. The class is very grateful to Paul for honouring the championship in this way and his daughter Trine was there receive Paul's award for the Hall of Fame.

Jacobsen concluded a long and interesting talk about Elvstrøm, “I can talk about this all evening but I think he really really deserves to be on the Hall of Fame. He helped the OK Dinghy for years and years with people like Pierre Poulain and Richard Creagh-Osborne, who was was the key person spreading the boats. He should be included for all the support he gave the class. He never really raced it but helped to get it started at the very beginning.”

The OK Dinghy Hall of Fame now includes 15 sailors spanning more than 50 years from the designer right through to the recent world champions. The kind of people on this list says much about the class – not just sailors who performed on the water, but also those that made a contribution in the back rooms, ensuring that the class had, and still has, a fantastic future.

Paul Elvstrøm

Back to complete Hall Of Fame