24th annual Sailors’ Series to spotlight America’s Cup

Four part lecture series begins February 27

The New Bedford Whaling Museum has announced that the 24th annual Sailors’ Series will spotlight the America’s Cup, one of the most challenging and prestigious sailing races in the world. The four part illustrated lecture series presents a wide variety of experiences and adventures by individuals with lifelong commitments to sailing, boats, and the sea.

The 2014 series will begin with award winning photographer Daniel Forster, on Thursday, February 27. Forster will present “36 Years of 12 America’s Cups, 1977-2013.” He has covered twelve America’s Cup races and ten Olympic Games during his 40 year career. His photographs have appeared in every major nautical magazine in America, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia, as well as on the cover of Time Magazine. He will discuss his extraordinary career and the inside stories behind his iconic images of the modern America’s Cup competition.

On March 27, ORACLE TEAM USA’s Dirk Kramers and Scott Ferguson will present “Innovations in 21st Century America’s Cup Design.” Chief Engineer Dirk Kramers and Wing Designer Scott Ferguson will discuss their experiences on the 2013 America’s Cup winning team and how recent design innovations have affected their work and the competition. A thirty-seven year veteran of the America’s Cup community and proponent of multihulls, Kramers has been part of five winning teams. Ferguson, a Naval Architect and a specialist in the design of carbon fiber grand prix racing spars, has participated in two winning America’s Cup teams.

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On April 24, Natasha Khandekar, Director and Curator of the William I. Koch Collection, will present a comprehensive overview of the unpar­alleled collection of maritime paintings of American businessman and 1992 America’s Cup Winner William I. Koch. Before joining Mr. Koch’s team, Khandekar worked with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Art Interactive in Cambridge, and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

On Thursday, May 8, Jerry and Rome Kirby present “A Shared Passion: Father and Son America’s Cup Winners.” Father and son both hold the distinction of winning the America’s Cup. Jerry is a veteran of six America’s Cup campaigns and won the Cup in 1992 on AMERICA. Rome was the only American and the youngest member of ORACLE TEAM USA, which staged a dramatic comeback to win the America’s Cup in 2013. Both have also successfully raced in the Volvo Ocean Race. They will talk about their “family business” of competitive sailing, sharing their challenges, successes, and hopes for the future.

All Sailors’ Series lectures occur at the New Bedford Whaling Museum on Thursday evenings, starting at 7:00 p.m. with a pre-lecture reception at 6:00 p.m. in the Jacobs Family Gallery. Tweet the Sailors’ Series with hashtag #SailorsSeries24.­

Admission for individual lectures: Members: $15 / Non-Members: $20. For the four-lecture series: Members: $60 / Non-Members $80. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (508) 997-0046 ext. 100 or visit whalingmuseum.org/programs/sailors-series. The Sailors’ Series is sponsored in part by C.E. Beckman and Luso Auto Center.

Schedule at a glance

  • February 27: Daniel Forster: “36 Years of 12 America’s Cups, 1977-2013”
  • On March 27: Dirk Kramers & Scott Ferguson: “21st Century America’s Cup Design”
  • April 24: Natasha Khandekar: “The William I. Koch Collection”
  • May 8: Jerry & Rome Kirby: “A Shared Passion: Father & Son America’s Cup Winners”