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| The Arthur B Strock Service Award may be awarded to members who have performed outstanding service for the Harbor 20, Fleet One organization. This years winner Bob Yates |
I first met Bob Yates when I started sailing Lido 14’s in the early 2000s and was quick to recognize that his boat was perfectly tuned and always well prepared for the days sailing. Because of his advanced skill level, I always assumed he had sailed all his life and was surprised to learn he did not start sailing until he retired at the age of 50. “I crewed a bit in my younger days, but my first real boat was a “junker” Lido 14. I was a fifty-year-old beginner. I raced it about forty times and never won a race. One day the boat fell apart and a friend loaned me a better boat. I immediately won two races. The next day I went to W. D. Schock and bought the Lido which I sailed for the next fifteen years,” Yates said.
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| 2019 Arthur Strock award winner Bob Yates |
Yates has been a Lido 14 and Harbor 20 fleet one champion and placed second twice in the Lido 14 Championships to names like Gaudio, Leweck, and Raab. “That was painful,” he said. In 2002 and in 2009 Yates won the Harbor 20 Fleet Championships and felt his crew members of Phil Thompson and Patrick Kincaid played a big part in his success. “Old age and treachery” just won’t cut it anymore,” he said. One of Yates’s many mentors was Dave Ullman, “ When I moved to Newport, I met Dave Ullman who’s loft was right down the street. He was still putting on sailing clinics, and I memorized every word. He is one of the smartest dudes I ever met. Neat guy too,”
Yates feels that today’s sailors are the best that have ever sailed in our harbor in the same one- design boat the Harbor 20s. This year Yates took the helm of H20 Fleet 1 as fleet captain and never looked back. He won the fleets “Rain or Shine” award by sailing in more high point events than any other sailor in fleet one. He also won the H 20 A Fleet High Point Trophy by attending the most races and having the best results. That’s on the water, off the water Yates started the H20 sailing clinics for beginning sailors than organized the sailing for the blind and veterans sailing programs out of the American Legion.
He will be returning as fleet captain in 2020 and for all is outstanding efforts Yates will be receiving H20 Fleet 1’ Phil Thompson mentorship award and H20 Fleet 1 top award the Author Strock Award for members who have performed outstanding service for the Harbor 20, Fleet One organization. The H20 awards presentation is November 23rd at the Balboa Yacht Club. It was kind of funny when he was helping me place the engraving plaques on the awards this last weekend he started to realize that the awards banquet was all about him this year and well deserved.
I had a few more questions for Yates and asked how he prepares himself for race day? “Get a good night’s sleep beforehand. It is tough on us old guys,” Yates said. Then thought of what he feels is important to pass on to new sailors at his clinics “Every student is different. An instructor’s goal must be to get into the student’s mind and make sense to them. Find a way to give them the key information and motivation that will allow them to succeed,” Yates said. My last question was Do you have a favorite moment in sailing? ” Roy Woolsey ( a true legend in sailing and in life itself) and I were sailing our Lidos home from BYC late one Wednesday night and the wind shut off completely. We spent about four hours “camped” in front of the fun Zone. The Harbor Patrol finally towed us home at about 2 am. Our wives did not believe us, Yates explained.
Yates believes in racing hard and having a good laugh about the day after it’s all over. He has helped me tune my centerboard in my Lido 14 and bend my Jib boom on my H20 with his magic tree in his back yard. He loves the sport of sailing and will do everything in his power to increase your enjoyment and participation.
Sea ya
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOYSAILING.COM
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