LOS ANGELES (AP) — Roy E. Disney, who died Wednesday at 79, was an avid ocean sailor who won the Transpacific Yacht Race in record time a decade ago and backed programs to bring youth to the sport.
The nephew of Walt Disney competed 15 times in the Transpac, a 2,225-mile race from Southern California to Hawaii.
In 1999, his 74-foot boat Pyewacket III was first to finish, completing the voyage in seven days, 11 hours, 41 minutes and 27 seconds. That broke the previous record set in 1997 by his son, Roy Pat Disney, who took over the job of skipper after his father broke a leg and was unable to sail.
The record stood until 2007.
The United States Sailing Association says in a statement that Disney made an impact on the sport from youth sailing to the Olympic level and beyond.
