One for the Admiral
By Ryan O’Grady
Caller ID can be a wonderful thing. On one of the coldest days of the year, my mood was immediately brightened seeing the phone ring from an old sailing friend. Hoping the call was an invite to a tropical sailing event, I picked up the phone. In an instant everything changed. “Did you hear about the Admiral?” Tom asked. “He’s very sick. I’m going to see him now, you should come along if you can.” The words hit me like a breaking wave.
The Admiral, as his friends fondly know him, owned a number of very successful yachts that competed in the Northeast and Caribbean. He took a chance on me back when I was young and had more attitude than ability, and through a combination of luck and circumstance, I became part of his extended family. And a family it was. While he made a living as a shrewd and innovative businessman, the Admiral’s true skill was surrounding himself with loyal and dedicated people. Becoming part of his crew was to be accepted into a group of people unlike any other. Every event and regatta became an extravaganza, right down to the day when the Admiral retired from competitive sailing and he decided that the boat couldn’t be donated without one last party onboard as a sendoff. Since then, some of the crew has spread to other programs, while others have returned to the “real” world. Like any other family, though, they will all drop anything to be there for each other.
Walking to his door, I was terrified to face what might be behind it. This was a man who always attacked life, what would he be like when life started to attack him? While weak, it was clear that the Admiral was thrilled to see his extended family coming together again. As more of the crew from the years arrived, the stories of the “old days” ramped into high gear. The stories have ascended to legendary status, and none of them can be printed on these pages, but to us, they were some of the best times of our lives. Up until now, we had all taken these times for granted, now all of us know these moments must be savored and treasured.
Yacht crews in many ways take on the personality of their owners. All too often today at the high level, owners and crews are experienced professionals. The boat is run like a business, and at the end of the race day, everyone goes his or her own ways. The Admiral was different. His programs were always just happy to be sharing another adventure. A victory just made the time even sweeter. The magic of sailing with the Admiral was always that the crew stuck together through thick and thin. From the first beat to last call, the team was the team. The Admiral wouldn’t have it any other way, even in his last days. On his final run through life, he made sure to stay alive long enough to say goodbye to all of his team. Generations of the team all came from near and far, 15 years of teams in all. While not happy with the circumstances, the team was happy to be together again, and the positive energy filled the Admiral’s house. For perhaps the very first time, his family saw why these people were so important in the Admiral’s life, and the collective passion was comforting.
In the end, the Admiral couldn’t outlast his disease, but his spirit can live on forever in every sailing program. We all spend much of our free time on the water, sharing a passion. We sacrifice time from our real families to join together in the pursuit of racing excellence. As most of us are now eagerly anticipating a new racing season, let’s commit to spending as much time building our sense of team as we spend wet sanding our bottoms. Boats may come and go, but the crews last forever.
Fair winds, Admiral. We all love you.
No comments:
Post a Comment