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J. J. Isler

b. 1963

Yachtswoman

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About J. J. Isler

Born 1963. J. J. Isler is an American sailor.

Jennifer J. Isler (born December 1, 1963), best known as J. J. Isler and also known by her maiden name of J. J. Fetter, is an American yachtswoman. She is a two-time Olympic medalist and a world sailing champion. She was a starting helmsman in the 1995 America's Cup races. A pioneer in the sport of women's sailing, in 2005 she was the first woman inducted into the Sailing World Hall of Fame and in 2015, she was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame.

She was born into a sailing family, the youngest of three children of Jane and Tom Fetter; he is a former commodore of San Diego Yacht Club. She began sailing Sabots when she was 7 years old. She learned to sail and race in the Juniors program at San Diego Yacht Club, sailing mostly in Sabots. An intense competitor, she disliked the fact that girls and boys were viewed differently in sailing. "The junior regattas were open to everyone, but there was a winner's trophy and a 'first girls' trophy," she recalled recently. "I always wanted just to be first, and hand that other trophy off as 'the first boy trophy'. … I finished second, third and fourth in the Sabot Nationals, but never won, meaning I was always getting that 'first girl' trophy, and I hated it." At the time, many of the West Coast's leading yacht clubs didn't even have facilities for female sailors. She once had to dress for a race in a yacht's club's parking lot.

She won a bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and a silver medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics, skippering in the women's 470 class.

She was the starting helmsman and tactician for the all-female Mighty Mary USA-34 team for most of the 1995 America's Cup defense trial races, until she was replaced by David Dellenbaugh in a controversial move.

With her then-husband Peter Isler, another champion sailor, she co-wrote the book Sailing for Dummies.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Yale University, The Bishop's School
Also known as
J. J. Fetter, Jennifer J. Isler

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped J. J. Isler's

Frequently asked questions

Who is J. J. Isler?

Yachtswoman

When was J. J. Isler born?

J. J. Isler was born on 1 December 1963 in La Jolla.

What is J. J. Isler's occupation?

J. J. Isler is a sailor.

What nationality is J. J. Isler?

J. J. Isler is American.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: J. J. Isler

Β· Wikidata: Q6106071

Β· DBpedia: J. J. Isler

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). J. J. Isler. https://biography.guide/j-j-isler/

MLA: "J. J. Isler." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/j-j-isler/.

Chicago: "J. J. Isler." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/j-j-isler/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

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