Jim Drake

Life & Legacy

Jim Drake (January 8, 1929 – June 19, 2012) was an American aeronautical engineer who invented the sport of windsurfing. In 1967, Drake designed, built, and successfully tested the first modern windsurfer, introducing the free-sail system, which allows the rider’s body to control both the power of the sail and direction of the board without a rudder, which is a steering device found on traditional sailboats. In 1968, he co-patented his design and co-founded the sport's first company, Windsurfing International, contributing the core foundation to the global development of the sport.
Before inventing the Windsurfer, Drake worked as a principal engineer on advanced aerospace projects, including the X-15 rocket plane, the first operational space plane and the fastest crewed aircraft ever flown. His application of aerospace engineering principles to sailcraft design was central to his inventing windsurfing.