Riley Dawn

Dawn Riley is one of the best-known sailors in the world and a member of the National Sailing Hall of Fame, the International America’s Cup Hall of Fame and the State of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame — the only person to achieve all three. A Michigan State University graduate, she has raced in four America’s Cups, winning one, and two Whitbread Round the World races. Still an active competitor, racing 600+ hours this past summer, she and young Oakcliff sailors hold course records for the Bayview Mackinac, Marblehead-Halifax, and Around Long Island races.

As CEO and captain of America True (2000), she was and is the youngest person and only female ever to lead an America’s Cup Campaign. Before that she was the sole female on the winning 1992 America’s Cup team and Team Captain of the groundbreaking 1995 all women’s team that was recently made into the feature film Mighty Mary — directed by Mary Mazzio and narrated by Elizabeth Banks and Hugh Jackman, released in theaters September, ‘26 via Paramount’s Republic Pictures and Skydance Sports. She was also featured in the movie Maiden (2018) the story of the 1st all-women’s round the world team where she served as watch captain.

A past president of the Women’s Sports Foundation, Dawn is a much sought-after motivational speaker and author of Taking the Helm (with Cynthia Goss), with a second book forthcoming. She is executive director of Oakcliff Sailing, a non-profit leadership training center in Oyster Bay, NY, building leaders through sailing. Oakcliff has incorporated America True, the 501(c)(3) youth foundation she founded in 1997 to introduce sailing to young people nationwide through advocacy and scholarships.