2021 Mystic Seaport Museum America and the Sea Award Gala

COVID-19 vaccination required:

Please note that in accordance with the New York City COVID-19 vaccine mandate launched August 16, guests at the Gala must provide proof of vaccination upon arrival. The following options will be accepted along with a photo ID. 

• New York State Excelsior Pass (NY residents only)
• NYC COVID SAFE App (anyone)
• CDC Vaccination Card or NYC Vaccination Record (including photos on your phone)

RAISE YOUR PADDLE FOR BRING YOUR CHILD FREE DAYS

Mystic Seaport Museum Will Offer Free Admission to Local Children

The remarkable career of our honoree Terry Hutchinson is one based on drive, determination, competitive spirit, and importantly, the opportunity in his youth to fall in love with sailing. Throughout his life on the water, he has built a foundation of knowledge that has strengthened his position as an effective and inspirational leader, an unmatched competitive sailor, an international ambassador for the sport, and a role model to a new generation of sailors. But it all began with opportunity.

In the spirit of providing opportunity, Mystic Seaport Museum is committed to removing the financial barrier for children to visit the Museum. We seek to "inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience" among today's young people by giving them the same opportunities from which many attending the Gala have tremendously benefited - the chance to explore the many facets of maritime culture.

In the summer of 2021, the Connecticut State Governor announced a Summer at the Museum program allowing Connecticut children to receive free admission at more than 90 museums across the state during the 2021 summer months. As a result, the Museum has benefited from increased attendance, broadening our exposure to individuals who otherwise might not have been able to experience the Museum and all its activities. The campus has been buzzing with excitement as individuals, families, and groups who had never visited before learn of the remarkable adventure and enrichment being near or on the water can generate.

With over 25% of local young people living in families below the poverty line, we want to open our doors free of charge to the children of our community again in the summer of 2022.

Your gift will help us share the magic of Mystic Seaport Museum with children in our community and beyond who are under age 18, giving them the chance to benefit from the life-changing moments about which we so often hear from you and others, perhaps returning to the Museum years later with their families. We will provide children the opportunity to discover their passion within the maritime world and begin to lay a foundation that can lead to the enduring connection to the American maritime experience that we seek to inspire, whether that connection is through history, art, science, building, trades, adventure, story-telling, or sailing. With your help, Mystic Seaport Museum will be accessible to all children, regardless of economic status, and we can build the next generation of maritime enthusiasts...perhaps even discover the next Terry Hutchinson.

Proceeds from the America and the Sea Award Gala provide vital funding for education, exhibitions, and programs that inspire a connection to the American maritime experience and re-imagine the interchange between maritime heritage and broader contemporary issues and culture.

THE GALA

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

6:30 pm cocktails

7:30 pm dinner, award presentation, live auction

Black-tie optional

Metropolitan Club

One East Sixtieth Street

New York, NY 10022-1054

RSVP by August 31, 2021

COVID-19 vaccination required: Please note that in accordance with the New York City COVID-19 vaccine mandate launched August 16, guests at the Gala must provide proof of vaccination. The following options will be accepted along with a photo ID. 

• New York State Excelsior Pass (NY residents only)
• NYC COVID SAFE App (anyone)
• CDC Vaccination Card or NYC Vaccination Record (including photos on your phone)

For event information, please contact the Advancement Department at 860.572.5302 ext. 5052 or [email protected].

THE AWARD

The America and the Sea Award, established by Mystic Seaport Museum in 2006, honors and celebrates those who embrace the scholarship, exploration, adventure, aesthetics, competition, and freedom that the sea inspires.

Past recipients of the America and the Sea Award include America's Cup Hall of Famer Tom Whidden, one of the most acclaimed sailors of all time; American businesswoman and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt, whose ocean explorations have advanced our understanding of the ocean's biodiversity and vulnerability; groundbreaking Whitbread and America's Cup sailor Dawn Riley and Oakcliff Sailing; philanthropist and environmentalist David Rockefeller, Jr., and his Sailors for the Sea; boat designers Rod and Bob Johnstone and their company J/Boats; author and historian Nathaniel Philbrick; founder, chairman and CEO of American Cruise Lines, Inc., Pearl Sea Cruises, and Chesapeake Shipbuilding, Charles A. Robertson; Hall of Famer sailor and author Gary Jobson; WoodenBoat Publications founder Jon Wilson; former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman; oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle; America's Cup sailor William Koch; President and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation, Thomas Crowley; historian David McCullough; and our first honoree, legendary yacht designer Olin J. Stephens, II.

OUR HONOREE

Terry Hutchinson, one of the most admired and respected sailors in the yacht racing circuit and most recently the skipper, executive director, and tactician for the New York Yacht Club American Magic campaign for the 36th America's Cup, is the 2021 recipient of the America and the Sea Award.

Hutchinson will be honored for his storied record as an outstanding yachtsman, his multiple world championship wins, his courageous America's Cup campaigns, but most especially for the leadership, integrity, courage, and humility he has demonstrated as the leader of the American Magic campaign. Hutchinson exemplifies the very pinnacle of competitive sailing, both in victory and in defeat.

"What truly sets Hutchinson apart is his leadership. He held his team together to compete in the America's Cup, battling COVID-19 restrictions and numerous changes in fortune, including a severely damaged boat. Hutchinson led his team with the humble charisma that has defined his entire sailing career, indicative of the American spirit that the America and the Sea Award seeks to honor," said Mystic Seaport Museum President Peter Armstrong.

Hutchinson's reputation as an outstanding sailor and teammate began with his college sailing career at Old Dominion University, where he helped lead the team to four national championships, and continued through 16 World Championship wins, and 5 America's Cup campaigns. Hutchinson was named the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year twice, which is a testament to the respect and admiration the sailing community has for him.

Mystic Seaport Museum is delighted to honor Terry Hutchinson, adding him to the prestigious list of honorees since the inception of the America and the Sea Award.

OUR SPONSORS

Platinum

Betsy and Hunt Lawrence

Gold

Peggy and Grant Cambridge

J. Barclay Collins, II

Joanne and Michael Masin

Alexander Roepers

Travelers

Silver

Beverly Gregory

Cayre and Alexis Michas

Glenmede Endowment and Foundation Management

Bronze

Maarten de Jong and Kendra Matthew

Doug and Maria DeVos

Renate and Peter Gleysteen

Gowrie Group

Irene and Charles Hamm

Michael Hudner

J.P. Morgan Bank

Georgette and Charles Mallory

Cynthia and Robert Martin

Sheila McCurdy and David Brown

Laurie Olson and Maria Fasulo

Susan and Martin Wayne

Betsy and Tom Whidden

Betsy and George White