Roy E, Disney

Roy E. Disney will be the speaker for the 78th annual commencement at the California Maritime Academy on April 26. He will also receive an honorary degree from the university for his many contributions to the state and the nation.

Disney has had a long and distinguished career in the American film industry, beginning as an employee of the company founded by his father, Roy O. Disney, and his uncle, Walt Disney. He eventually became a senior executive of the firm for which he now serves as a consultant and board director emeritus. He has also played an active role in international sailing and the promotion of youth sailing programs.

Disney has made substantial contributions to American media in roles as a writer, director, editor, producer and executive producer. He has also been an active community volunteer, including current service as a trustee to the California Institute of the Arts.

Disney is internationally known for his involvement in the world sailing community and has held several sailing speed records including the Chicago-to-Mackinac, Newport-Bermuda and the Los Angeles to-Hawaii Transpac (a transit of just under 7 ? days, set in 1999). He has also been an active and personally involved supporter of youth sailing on the West Coast, annually sponsoring the Roy E. Disney trophy — presented to the Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association high school team earning the most Disney Cup trophy points for the season.

Disney’s love of sailing and efforts to promote the sport were most recently evidenced in his underwriting of the Morning Light project — the recruitment, training and campaigning of one of the youngest crews ever to enter the Transpac race. Nearly 500 top youth sailors nationwide applied for selection. Fifteen were chosen for a final crew of 11, among them Cal Maritime senior cadet Piet vanos, who served as the boat’s tactician.

The team underwent several months of pre-race training in Hawaii and the U.S. The entire process, nearly a year from start to finish, including the 2007 Transpac, was filmed by Disney cinematographers, and the completed documentary, Morning Light, will be released in theaters worldwide in the fall of 2008. It is expected to provide a major spur for expanded youth interest in sailing, and new visibility, recognition of, and interest in the California Maritime Academy worldwide.

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