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ISLAND GOATS SAILING SOCIETY
Chicago Yacht Club Station
The 2024 Fresh Water Award Presentation
By Rick Hayes
The IGSS Freshwater Award
In 1959 The Island Goats Sailing Society Established
A Citation of Merit known as the Fresh Water Award
To Recognize Meritorious Service or
Outstanding Contribution
to Off-Shore Sailing.
I’m very excited to present the 2024 IGSS Fresh Water Award. In 1959 the IGSS established a Citation of Merit known as the Fresh Water Award, to recognize meritorious service or outstanding contribution to offshore sailing.
Tonight’s honoree has spent his entire adult life as a committed advocate for boating safety not just for offshore sailing but sailboat racing of any kind. He is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable safety at sea sailors in the US. And I must admit, his passion, his dedication and his time commitment to safety on the water is commendable.
His safety journey started during his 12-year military career as an officer and pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Marines, where he trained extensively in sea survival. He flew B-52’s and C-130’s among other aircraft, followed by a 30 year career as a commercial pilot for a major airline. He taught numerous military training courses for both land and sea survival. US military sea survival training is the best in the world – and it’s not available to civilians.
In his civilian life, he proved himself to be a capable and winning sailboat racer. But he’s really made his mark as an advocate for safety at sea:
He holds a US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea certificate.
He is a member of the Storm Trysail Club.
He has provided assistance to the CYC MAC Committee in its safety programs:
He is a volunteer facilitator for local safety-at-sea courses.
He was instrumental in designing and facilitating on-the-water MOB training exercises to teach sailors how to use their MOB AIS/DSC devices, so sailors can experience MOB protocols and procedures firsthand.
I worked closely with this person while serving on the CYC Safety Subcommittee for the Mac Race for four years.
He is a liaison with the US Coast Guard Great Lakes Region and created the lines of communication to manage alarms from MOB AIS/DSC during the Chicago Mac Race.
He has completed 36 Chicago Mac Races, primarily on T-10’s and J-105’s. He loves to let everyone he meets know that in 1984 he won the Chicago Mac overall on a T-10 in a time of 34 hours, 30 minutes and 9 seconds. I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty scary to me!
He has raced with Richard Stearns, his son Rich Stearns, John Huff, Chris Whitford, Adrian Martin, Dan Newman and Clark Pellet.
He is a prolific writer, and many of you know him through the safety articles he writes as a regular contributor to the LMSRF e-magazine and is frequently published in Scuttlebutt. He also is sought out by media for his opinion about safety topics.
He has successfully nominated three crews for the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal, most recently for 5 Soling sailors that successfully rescued a competitor during a race last September out of Wilmette Harbor. There are few awards more rewarding to this person than not having a serious incident on the water.
I have to warn everybody not to bring up the topic of wearing PDF’s while on the water. You will start an endless passionate conversation that everyone needs to wear a PDF from the moment that you step on the boat until you step off the boat; hopefully not during a race!
All of this demonstrates his more than adequate qualifications to making an outstanding contribution to Offshore Sailing.
And now, it’s my great honor and pleasure to present Craig Warner as the recipient of the 2024 Island Goats Sailing Society Freshwater Award. Craig, would you please come forward to accept your award.
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