Eric Ridder (July 1, 1918 – July 23, 1996) was an American
sailor
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the s ...
and Olympic champion. He was born in
Hewlett, New York
Hewlett is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 6,819 at the 2010 census.
Hewlett is usually included as one of the Five Towns in th ...
, and died in
Locust Valley, New York
Locust Valley is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 3,406 at the 2010 census.
History
The rolling h ...
.
He competed at the
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...
in
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...
, where he
won a gold medal in the
6 metre class with the boat ''Llanoria''.
["1952 Summer Olympics – Helsinki, Finland – Sailing"]
''databaseOlympics.com'' (Retrieved on May 31, 2008)
Ridder was also the winning skipper in the
1964 America's Cup, guiding the
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...
's 12-metre yacht, the
''Constellation'', to a 4-0 sweep over
''Sovereign'' of the
Royal Thames Yacht Club
The Royal Thames Yacht Club (RTYC) is the oldest continuously operating yacht club in the world, and the oldest yacht club in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located at 60 Knightsbridge, London, England, overlooking Hyde Park. The club ...
.
He graduated from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
in 1940.
References
1918 births
1996 deaths
American male sailors (sport)
Sailors at the 1952 Summer Olympics – 6 Metre
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in sailing
People from Hewlett, New York
People from Locust Valley, New York
Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics
1964 America's Cup sailors
Harvard University alumni
{{US-yachtracing-Olympic-medalist-stub