One of the Newport Bermuda Race's best-known skippers, Richard S. Nye, joined the Bermuda Race Roll of Honour last June. His family received the award on his behalf recently at their home club, Indian Harbour Yacht Club, from selection committee member John Rousmaniere.

At the time he bought his first boat in 1945, Richard S. “Dick” Nye knew almost nothing about sailing. After he based Carina at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club, in Greenwich, Conn., he tried cruising for a while and then took a chance on long-distance racing, which quickly became his passion. Over the following three decades, Dick Nye and his loyal crews in his three boats (all named Carina) compiled a spectacular record both for dedication and for success. In 16 Newport Bermuda Races, they had six top-three finishes in their class and two overall victories, in 1952 and 1970. The Carinas also sailed seven Transatlantic Races, winning three of them, and 10 Fastnet Races in British waters, with another two overall victories.

Dick Nye credited the success of the Carinas in large part to his dedicated, hard-driving, skilled crews, with his son Richard B. Nye as first mate and other family members and many close friends handling sails and trimming sheets. One of his regulars described the typical Carina experience this way: “You went to the starting line knowing that you were ready for the full fray, and that you were going to have fun doing it—but not miss the purpose.”

Richard S. Nye died in 1988.

Visit the Bermuda Race Roll of Honour page to read all honoree citations.