Dr Ian McCrossin OAM - Hall of Fame Inductee February 2022
Ian represented Australia at pre-Olympic regattas in the International 470 Class dinghy in 1977 at Tallinn, Estonia, in the International Flying Dutchman Class; 1978 at Tallinn, Estonia, 1983 at Los Angeles USA and 1991 at Barcelona, Spain.
In 1979 Ian, along with Warwick Downs as helm, won the Aus and NZ FD Interdominion Championships at Auckland and again at Geelong in 1982 with Mark Peelgrane as helm.
In the 1982 FD world championships at Geelong Victoria, Ian with Mark Peelgrane as Helm, finished 9th. This performance qualified Mark and Ian for the Barrenjoey Pin for a top ten performance by athletes at a World Championship in an Olympic Class. The Barrenjoey Pin is awarded by Australian Sailing for Olympic Class performances and Australian Sailing Team qualification across a range of factors.
Ian as helm (along with Jim Cook) is the only Australian to win multiple FD World Championships, he has been the International Flying Dutchman Class World champion three times (1995, 1997 and 2000) and runner up three times across a period of some 15 years (from 1994 through 2008). This period also includes a further five top ten finishes at World Championships contested. Ian was nominated for Australian Sailor of Year in 1997.
Ian has won nine Australian FD Class National Championships.
As IFDCO President from 1994 -1998 Ian made multiple trips overseas to ensure a smooth and productive transition for the FD class from being an Olympic Class to International Class.
While International President during the 1994 World championships in Adelaide Australia, Ian (and Jim Cook) were instrumental in ensuring a young crew from a newly independent Hungary had access to a competitive boat and equipment to enable them to compete in Adelaide. The pair, who before 1991 were part of the CCCP (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) Sports program, in fact won the 1994 World Championships and Ian and Jim Cook were second.
The International Fair Play Committee recognised this selfless work by awarding an international sportsmanship award to Ian and Jim. They are the only Australian sailors to receive the Diploma of Action award.
International Fair Play Committee (fairplayinternational.org)
In 1998, Ian received a Sportsmanship and Dignity award conferred by the Netherlands Flying Dutchman Class Organisation for a number factors including recognition of his work as International President in ensuring the future of the FD class.