Aileen Bryan

{{Short description|American sailor (1925–2005)}} {{Infobox sailor | name = | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name =  | full_name =  | nickname = | nationality =  | birth_date = April 4, 1925 |birth_place = New Rochelle, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2005|11|29|1925|04|04}} | club = | collegeteam = | coach = }}

'''Aileen Shields Bryan'''  (April 4, 1925 – November 29, 2005) was an American sailor who won the 1948 United States' women's national sailing championship.

== Sailing history == Bryan was born in New Rochelle, New York. Her mother was Josephine Shields and her father was Cornelius Shields, the sailor after whom the Shields sailboat was named. She went to Rye Country Day School, St. Margaret's School, and finally the Berkeley-Llewelyn Business School.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=December 8, 2005|title=Aileen Shields Bryan, 80, Was Skilled Yachtsman|url=https://vineyardgazette.com/obituaries/2005/12/09/aileen-shields-bryan-80-was-skilled-yachtsman|access-date=2021-11-07|website=The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News|language=en}}</ref>

The ''New York Times'' covered a successful day of sailing when she was six years old and won three races of the day with her father crewing for her, thereby winning as many races as when she crewed for him.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Times|first=James Robbins special To the New York|date=1932-02-23|title=AILEEN SHIELDS, 6, A FROSTBITE STAR; With Father Acting as Crew, She Guides Skippy to Three Victories in Dinghy Races. NINE EVENTS ARE STAGED Cornelius Shields Takes Trio in the 11-Foot Class -- Buchanan Scores With 14-Footers.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1932/02/23/archives/aileen-shields-6-a-frostbite-star-with-father-acting-as-crew-she.html|access-date=2021-11-07|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Her father eventually named his boat ''Aileen'' after her.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CAPRICE and GHOST|url=https://www.woodenboat.com/caprice-and-ghost|access-date=2021-11-07|website=WoodenBoat Magazine|language=en}}</ref> In 1938, Bryan sailed with Allegra Mertz during her win for the Syce Cup trophy, the women's Long Island Sound championship; she was 13 at the time and the youngest competitor of the event.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Robbins|first=James|date=1938-07-28|title=Larchmont Skipper Wins Cup|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1938/07/28/archives/larchmont-skipper-wins-cup-honors-on-sound-to-mrs-brickell-former-a.html|access-date=2021-10-26|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Bryan won the Mrs. Charles Francis Adams Trophy, the United States' Women's National Sailing Championship, in 1948.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1949|title=MotorBoating|language=en|edition=January|page=114|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CPQ1AQAAMAAJ&dq=Aileen+Shields+mrs.+charles+frances+adams+cup&pg=RA1-PA280}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Robbins|first=James|date=1948-08-31|title=Aileen Shields Takes Lead in U.S. Women's Sailing Championship; L.I. SOUND SKIPPER FIRST ON 15 1/4 POINTS|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/08/31/archives/aileen-shields-takes-lead-in-us-womens-sailing-championship-li.html|access-date=2021-11-07|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> After this win, Margo Gotte and Bryan published an article in ''Yacht Racing'' magazine that was called “How to Win a Sailboat Race”.<ref>{{Cite news|first1=Margo|last2=Bryan|first2=Aileen Shields|date=1950|title=here|pages=125–127|work=Yacht Racing|last1= Gotte}}</ref> She also won class championships in other sailboats include the Atlantic<ref>{{Cite news|last=Times|first=James Robbins Special To the New York|date=1945-09-09|title=RECORD 133 CRAFT SAIL AT MANHASSET; Corny and Aileen Shields Win International and Atlantic Class Races in Regatta|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1945/09/09/archives/record-133-craft-sail-at-manhasset-corny-and-aileen-shields-win.html|access-date=2021-11-07|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Times|first=James Robbinsspecial To the New York|date=1944-07-16|title=SHIELDS TRIUMPHS IN SOUND YACHTING; Manhasset Bay Club Sailing Victory Also Registered by Daughter Aileen SHIELDS TRIUMPHS IN SOUND YACHTING|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1944/07/16/archives/shields-triumphs-in-sound-yachting-manhasset-bay-club-sailing.html|access-date=2021-11-07|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Times|first=James Robbinsspecial To the New York|date=1947-05-25|title=Knapp Winner With Bumble Bee As 77 Yachts Compete on Sound; Record Turnout Noted for First, Regatta of Summer Season -- McCullough, Aileen Shields, Etchells Among Victors|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/05/25/archives/knapp-winner-with-bumble-bee-as-77-yachts-compete-on-sound-record.html|access-date=2021-11-07|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and 210<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UPQ1AQAAMAAJ&dq=Aileen+Shields+mrs.+charles+frances+adams+cup+sailing&pg=RA6-PA60|title=Motorboating - ND|date=1949|language=en|page=60|edition=December}}</ref> classes.

alt=Picture of a Sunfish (small boat) with two people sailing it.|thumb|Bryan was instrumental in the development of the Sunfish Bryan played a key role in the design of the Sunfish. Her husband, Alexander Bryan,<ref>{{Cite news|first=|date=1950-07-09|title=AILEEN SHIELDS A BRIDE; Yachtswoman Wed in Larchmont Church to Alexander Bryan|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/07/09/archives/aileen-shields-a-bride-yachtswoman-wed-in-larchmont-church-to.html|access-date=2021-11-07|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and Cortlandt Heyniger designed its predecessor, the Sailfish. She encouraged them to build a boat that had a cockpit where she could place her feet and allowed her to sit sideways while steering.<ref>{{Cite web|title=AL, CORT & SAILFISH|url=https://nshof.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SUNFISH-Story-SI-Spread.pdf|access-date=November 7, 2021|website=National Sailing Hall of Fame}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=S.I. Staff|date=September 20, 1983|title=HERE SHE IS, THE TRUE LOVE BOAT|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1982/09/20/here-she-is-the-true-love-boat|access-date=2021-11-07|website=Sports Illustrated Vault {{!}} SI.com|language=en-us}}</ref> This led to the development of the Sunfish, which was inducted into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame in 1995.<ref name="HallOfFame">{{cite web|title=Sunfish|url=http://www.sailamerica.com/halloffame/sunfish.asp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126063057/http://www.sailamerica.com/halloffame/sunfish.asp|archive-date=January 26, 2007|access-date=February 19, 2010|publisher=American Sailboat Hall of Fame|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

== Awards and honors == Bryan is a nominee to the United States' National Sailing Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bryan, Aileen Shields|url=https://nshof.org/nominees/bryan-aileen/|access-date=2021-11-07|website=National Sailing Hall of Fame|language=en-US}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == *[https://nshof.org/nominees/bryan-aileen/ Aileen Bryan's nomination to National Sailing Hall of Fame]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryan, Aileen}} Category:American female sailors (sport) Category:1925 births Category:2005 deaths Category:21st-century American women Category:Sportspeople from New Rochelle, New York Category:20th-century American sportswomen

Aileen Bryan

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