Eric Jespersen (2003)

Eric Jespersen comes from a nautical family, in which sailing is second nature. As the son of respected boat builder Bent Jespersen, taking to the water was natural for the young Eric. In 1974, at the age of 12, he sailed in his first Swiftsure race, one of the premier sailing competitions in the world. In 1983 Eric crewed aboard the challenger semifinalist Canada I at the America's Cup off Newport, R.I., and was a crewmember and project manager for Canada II at the 1987 America's Cup off Fremantle, Western Australia. Five years later, he and his partner, Ross MacDonald rose to the Olympic podium with a bronze medal in Star class sailing at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games. Two years later, they stood on the very top by winning the Star class Worlds championship in 1994. From the Olympics to the World championships to the America's Cup, Eric Jespersen has made an impact in the biggest sailing events on the planet. He is regarded as one of the finest sailors in Greater Victoria history and was twice named the Canadian Yachting Association Male Athlete of the Year.