The American Sailboat Hall of Fame was established in 1994 by Sail America. The basic criteria for Hall of Fame consideration requires that candidates be production sailboats, built in the United States, introduced at least 15 years ago. The defining characteristic that each boat shares is that each has made a difference - a lasting impact on sailing.

The charter class of the American Sailboat Hall of Fame was inducted in 1995, at Atlantic Sail Expo® in Atlantic City, NJ. Its members included five revered classics: Sunfish, J/24,Triton, Bermuda 40 and Catalina 22.