GAYC Officers
GAYC is a member driven club, but officers keep things moving forward.
Since our inception in 1976, we have had __ commodores, and are grateful to all. Following are our current officers.
Wooden sailboat devotee…..
Bob Gould,
Commodore
Bob began sailing when he was 7 years old, and began racing in college. He fell in love with wood sailboats, and in 2001, he built a _____. He once trailered his boat from Florida to Washington for a Wood Boat Festival, and back again! He takes his beloved (name of boat) sailing as often as possible (as [name of boat] is now up for sale).
Sailor, mountain biker, dancer and bridge player.
Karin Kratina,
Vice Commodore
Karin began sailing at age 10 on her dad’s 14’ Hobie Cat, sail #167. She sailed and raced 14s and 16s through her 20s, and was active in Gainesville’s Hobie Fleet #153. She moved, on, but found sailing again in 2015, this time the big boats. While she doesn’t own a sailboat, she trailers her 11’ Triumph all over north Florida every week for a new adventure.
Sailor, musician, dancer, activist and ex-bug studier…..
Jeff Shapiro,
Treasurer
Jeff first sailed when he crewed in the 1995 America’s Cup. With Jeff’s steady hand on the wheel, New Zealand’s Black Magic dominated the challengers in San Diego, and went on to make short work of Dennis Conner, taking the America’s Cup back to the Southern Hemisphere. Jeff’s profuse apologies to the US, plus his promise to never to help the Kiwi’s again, allowed him to return to respectability in the US, though he was never invited to sail in the America’s Cup again.
Keeper of old GAYC newsletters….
Sam Trickey,
Secretary
Sam joined GAYC in 1987, and has been active ever since. He is an active sailor, and currently sails his Precision 23 "Cookie Monster" out of Boathouse Marina, Palatka. At left, he is at the helm of his Laser 28 "Dark Star" in the Around the Islands Race (Apostle Islands, National Lake Shore, Lake Superior) after a storm. He raced on Lake Superior from 1995 through 2011. For GAYC, he previously has been Commodore (2004 - 2006); Vice Commodore (2001 - 2004), Secretary (1999 - 2001), and Race Committee Chair (1997 - 1999).
Walton 25 fancier…..
Don Myers,
Activities Director
Don was hooked the first time he went sailing when he was 24. These days, if he is not sailing his beloved Walton 25, Sea Grace, he can be found working on the boat. He is often joined by his wife, LInda, for sailing adventures, though she finally had to draw the line after a late sail turned into a night sail and, well, we’ll save this story for our monthly meetings with the theme, “One Of My Disasters On the Water.”
Webmasters
Jeff Shapiro and Karin Kratina share webmaster duties. Both are new to web design and muster through, though both would rather be on the water.
The photo is off of Egmot Key State Park, with the Tampa Bay Bridge in the background with Talisman, an Allied SEAWIND MK II.