IOD FLEET: Long Island Sound

ACTIVE PERIOD: 30s – 60s

IOD ACCOMPLISHMENTS OR CONTRIBUTIONS: Founder of the IOD class and the Shields Class. Also, created the Interclub Dinghy used for Frostbiting. National Sailing Hall of Fame 2017 Inductee.

NOTABLE SAILING ACHIEVEMENTS: Frequent Champion in IOD, Shields Classes. 6 Meter Champion. Americas Cup Sailor in the 12M Columbia. Both Corny and his son separately were winners of the Mallory Cup.

What Babe Ruth was to baseball of that era, Corny Shields was to small sailboat racing – the man to beat. He established control of sail purchases within the fleet to ensure that races were won by the skill of the skipper and crew, not because one person had deeper pockets than another. The Silver Fox of Long Island Sound was also a great sportsman. Time magazine said, “Probably nobody has won more sailboat races than Corny Shields.”