As many of you probably already know, Bill Maclean died September 30 2000, after valiantly fighting melanoma cancer. It goes without saying that this was a terrible loss for his dear wife Judy and family. But for those involved in racing, and in particular the South Sound Sailing Society, it was a huge loss for us too. We lost a leader. Bill was skilled beyond most of us, having spent his whole life involved in the sport. He knew more about how to make a boat go than anyone I know. As someone said at his funeral, he seemed to be able to tell what a boat was doing even in his sleep.
Most sailors spend their youth racing, then “graduate” into the more sedate cruising lifestyle, doing an occasional race for fun. Bill never withdrew from the racing scene. In fact, he never withdrew from a race. He even made up a few races when he couldn’t find a formal race. This is one of the many lessons I learned from Bill, stay focused, don’t quit.
There were other important lessons Bill taught us. Looking back over the years, he always had a kid on board. He knew that passing along his knowledge of sailing was giving an invaluable gift. It’s hard to really understand sailing by reading a book, and unfortunately there are not enough boats and crews willing to take an inexperienced young person along on the races, so they can get the firsthand experience they need. Further he volunteered his time to work with local youth sailing programs, the OYC program and the Corinthian Sailing Club. Bill would want us all to share our knowledge.
The third thing that made Bill such an outstanding person and friend was that he was a true gentleman. No one would argue that Bill was not as competitive as they come. But when the race was over Bill was fair, polite and always conducted himself properly. He was there to help tie up a boat, even on the rare occasion when someone beat him. Maybe I should say especially when someone beat him.
Besides leading by example, Bill has helped a lot with the running of our club. He was RC Chair twice and was always there to advise the current RC Chair. He served as our Rep to the Southern Sound Series Council, working to put on the Series and our Toliva Shoal Race. For the last seven years he has served as our PHRF handicapper; we had one of the best on the Sound. He took the job seriously, making sure no one missed a race because their boat was not yet eligible. Bill would always do the job responsibly.
One thing which troubled Bill over the years was that so many boats sit at the dock, not racing, not even sailing! He would want us to spend less time watching sports and spend more time doing the sport of sailing.
Finally, a memorial trophy/race is being planned in Bill’s honor. Of course, Bill would want you all to be involved in the race. We will let you know the details as soon as they are worked out. All I know is it will be a good, long race, and Bill will be out there on the course with us. Yes, Bill we’ll have a whale of a sail. Thanks for all you gave.
Gary Pedigo, Flirtation
Bill will be missed by many, including yours truly. Ed.
Photos of Bill and Savage by Sean TrewSSSS sent flowers to Judy Maclean. She sent us a thank you note. As you helped pay for the flowers, we thought we should share the note with you. It reads as follows:
Thank you all for the huge fall bouquet. It is beautiful.
Bill taught me that sailors are great people and fun to have around. As Parks Weaver said, “Think of him as going on ahead and reserving moorage for us.”