A chapter closed...

[Kevin Werner]

I started racing sailboats at the age of 14 or 15 and regulary competed until shipping off to Parris Island in 1976. 11 year later with agoodjob, a new wife and our own homeI rentered crewing onracing boats in San Pedro CA. When we moved to WI in '93 I was on a crew the following summer. I became an owner in '98 with two boatsin succession Named WarBird, then in 2011 my brother and constant crew partnered on Team Wicked.
A crew shot.

The first WarBird and team Wicked.

I have become pretty good at smoothing and fairing bottoms fo rracing and templating foils.

This shot seconds after the start of a 22mi race shows how we developed a few really good start techniques. The upwind boat would never get above us windwise and all the downwind boats are sailing in dirty air. Every second counts in a race.

A little video of one of our distance races from several years ago.

With most of the crew that started with me in 1998 and still raced last year(we are not as agile as we used to be), we waved goodbye as Team Wicked followed a Diesel Ford Pickup to a new home in South Eastern Michigan.

 

[Adamc]

I started racing sailboats at the age of 14 or 15 and regulary competed until shipping off to Parris Island in 1976. 11 year later with agoodjob, a new wife and our own homeI rentered crewing onracing boats in San Pedro CA. When we moved to WI in '93 I was on a crew the following summer. I became an owner in '98 with two boatsin succession Named WarBird, then in 2011 my brother and constant crew partnered on Team Wicked.
A crew shot.View attachment 323731The first WarBird and team Wicked.View attachment 323732View attachment 323733I have become pretty good at smoothing and fairing bottoms fo rracing and templating foils.View attachment 323734View attachment 323735View attachment 323736View attachment 323737This shot seconds after the start of a 22mi race shows how we developed a few really good start techniques. The upwind boat would never get above us windwise and all the downwind boats are sailing in dirty air. Every second counts in a race.View attachment 323738A little video of one of our distance races from several years ago.

With most of the crew that started with me in 1998 and still raced last year(we are not as agile as we used to be), we waved goodbye as Team Wicked followed a Diesel Ford Pickup to a new home in South Eastern Michigan.

Great story Kevin. Such a shame you guys split; but we are all aging and unable to do the splits anymore!

 

[Kevin Werner]

Great story Kevin. Such a shame you guys split; but we are all aging and unable to do the splits anymore!

We have not split per se. We have been friends for 25/26 years. We will probably be together running races on Chis' or Brad's power boats, target shooting, cocktail cruises etc. My brother and I feel the $ and labor to compete is no longer important when we do not have new crew coming along. Fewer young folks want to get away from the game console to go out and have an adventure.
When I started as a boat owner my club had 15-25 boats on the water in three divisions. Now we have 3-5 boats total.

 

[Adamc]

We have not split per se. We have been friends for 25/26 years. We will probably be together running races on Chis' or Brad's power boats, target shooting, cocktail cruises etc. My brother and I feel the $ and labor to compete is no longer important when we do not have new crew coming along. Fewer young folks want to get away from the game console to go out and have an adventure.
When I started as a boat owner my club had 15-25 boats on the water in three divisions. Now we have 3-5 boats total.

I hear what you say Kevin. The youth of today see the world through IPad and game consoles. That it seems is all the stimulus they need. Few know what is happening in the world, and many just want the next quick fix with the least effort.

 

[46th Georgia]

We have not split per se. We have been friends for 25/26 years. We will probably be together running races on Chis' or Brad's power boats, target shooting, cocktail cruises etc. My brother and I feel the $ and labor to compete is no longer important when we do not have new crew coming along. Fewer young folks want to get away from the game console to go out and have an adventure.
When I started as a boat owner my club had 15-25 boats on the water in three divisions. Now we have 3-5 boats total.

If it'll make you feel a little more optimistic, last night I went to my local dirt track, Golden Isles Speedway in Waynesville, Ga., and the Crown Vic class had 4-5 teenagers competing in it. There's still a few out there who aren't stuck behind a game console.

 

[toglhot]

I'm a yachty too, this is my yacht with crew.

 

[Kevin Werner]

I hear what you say Kevin. The youth of today see the world through IPad and game consoles. That it seems is all the stimulus they need. Few know what is happening in the world, and many just want the next quick fix with the least effort.

I retired in 2017 from a very intersting job in R&D in FRs (fire retardants) for wire jacketing. the R&D department grew from me (Tech) to 5 or 6 new BS Chemistry hires. I loved everyone of them, even the cute shapely ones. They all were hard working, creative and fun to be around. But... at the time I was 55 or so. I came into work Monday after 2 days of distance racing 20 pus miles up and down the coast. We worry about provisiions, hydra (beer) tion and sail selections. Transportation to the distant port etc. We race 4 or 5 hours of a fair intensity of concentration and effort out on a beautiful lake setting in the sun and waves. So I am in my mid fifties at the time, right. Mondays we caught up with weekend activities and planned projects going forward.
So the conversation was illuminating. Amanda played her video games saturday and his video games sunday. Casey, all red headed fire, went to a rave and couldn't remember most of it. Chad hosted Dungeons and Dragons all weekend. Chantell (a little rounder than I prefer) baked cookies with her sister in her home town 1 hour south. Mike and Colin travelled north to their respective parents farms and did some farm chores (good for them). Here I am 55 or so and some of these kids (incredible talent and work ethic in each) gain so little life experience on a weekend.