James Wilmot - Hall of Fame Inductee February 2022
James started sailing at the age of Eight in the Flying Ant class as a helm at Middle Harbour Skiff Club and progressed through Cherubs, Javelins and Fireballs. He was second in Javelin class nationals Melbourne in 1971. In 1971 James graduated to the Olympic Flying Dutchman class.
By age 19 James had achieved Runner-up in the 1972 Olympic Trials as helm with Jim Cook as forward hand.
James returned to firefalls between Olympics and with Jim Cook as forward hand won 1973 Fireball Nationals and were second in the 1974 Fireball World Championships in Glenelg South Australia.
With the 1976 Olympic selection period approaching, James with Jim Cook as forward hand won the Australian Championship in the Flying Dutchman class in 1975 and in 1976.
James now 23, with Jim Cook, placed a remarkable 4th at the 1975 World Championship at the Buffalo Canoe Club in Canada in a seven-year-old boat amongst new state of the art composite boats. To this day, among all his achievements, James rates this as his best.
In the 1976 Olympic trials James as helm, again with Jim Cook they backed up their previous 1972 performance as Runner-up in the trails.
Following the conclusion of the 1976 Olympic trials, James went Yacht racing with the same level of enthusiasm as his dinghy racing. From the seventies for several decades James competed in ocean races all around the world including 15 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races with 1 x 1st place, 2 x 2nd places, 1 x 3rd place and 1 x 4th place. He competed in the The Fastnet Race, 4 Newport to Bermuda Races, 4 China Sea Races, Hong Kong to Hainan Island Race plus numerous smaller races along the Australian Coast. In addition to this, James competed in numerous major international regattas in various one design yachts. James also moved into yacht syndicate management and racing yacht commissioning.
While yacht racing became James’ main focus for almost a decade, with the 1984 Olympics on the horizon, James (again with Jim Cook) decided to go around once more, which they did in style.
They won the 1984 Australian Championship in the Flying Dutchman class and went one better than their 2 previous attempts and won the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Trials. They went on the represent Australia at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Because of these achievements James, in 1984, was awarded the Barrenjoey Pin which recognises Australian sailors who have represented Australia at Olympic Games and or sailed to a high standard in Olympic classes World Championships.