Rowayton's Kirby to be inducted into National Sailing Hall of Fame

Canadian native Bruce Kirby of Rowayton has been named as one of the nine sailors who are members of the 2012 class of inductees into the National Sailing Hall of Fame.

Kirby, a newspaperman and former editor of "One Design Yachtsman" (predecessor to Sailing World magazine) is internationally known as the designer of the Laser which is sailed in Olympic competition.

Over 250,000 of the one-design single-person boat have been built since the early `70s. His designs also include the America's Cup 12-Metres Canada I and Canada II, as well as the Ideal 18, San Juan 24 and the Sonar, which is raced in the Paralympics.

Kirby represented Canada at the Olympic Games by sailing a Finn in 1964 and a Star in 1968. Now at the age of 82, he can still be found racing a Sonar -- his favorite of the 63 boats he has designed -- out of the Noroton Yacht Club in Darien.