2016 North American's Update - Mike Poulos

Greetings and happy sailing.

I just wanted to let you know we are working hard to make the 2016 North American Champs stellar, both on and off the water.  In addition to great racing, we are planning to fill your stomachs with fine food and local beer.  We will have a Karaoke party of epic proportions Thursday night, and a cabana beach party on Friday.  We have some great sponsorship this year, so we should have a fair amount of schwag to distribute.

If you are on the fence, please consider coming to our fair city.  It's a beautiful place, and June is a great time of year to come.  We have a very active group of 5O5 sailors in the PNW, and we are looking forward to rubbing elbows (not hulls) with you!  If there is anything I can do to help getting you here a reality, please don't hesitate to contact me at 360-676-4263, or email to byclaserfleet@yahoo.com

Here is a link to the Regatta Web Site, where you can link to info about the city, and , more importantly, register!

http://sailfleet.byc.org/505-na/

 See you on the Water.

Mike Poulos, Chair

Remembering Phil Tillman

Contributed by Graham Alexander:

Below is Phil Tillman's Obituary.  He was a great friend.  I would compare him Ali Meller in terms of passion for 505s except Phil was earlier. I first met him at Hampton NAs in about 1970. He was crewing for David, they took second to Dennis Surtees.  It was close though. I can't remember who was crewing for Surtees then.

I think it was around 63 or 64 that Phil and another Canadian thought they ought to try 505's.  Phil was a brit expat working for Nortel (Canada's Bell labs).  They ordered two 505s from Parker. Realizing how much shipping was going to be they decided to order a container, so they needed to sell 4 boats before they were shipped.  They sold 6.  Oh well, better order another container.  that one got overbooked before the boats were made, so they ordered another container.  It was hard to get boats back then.  Although he got out of 505s when sailboards got good, he always helped the fleet in Ottawa mentoring new members, crewing for beginners, making parts etc.  He often showed up at CORK and other Kingston regattas to see how the class was doing.

Obituary:

Our dad passed peacefully December 20, 2015, 66 years to the day he began dating our mum, his gorgeous wife Maureen. 

My sisters and I are incredibly sad but at the same time relieved that he is no longer in pain. Phil crossed his final finish line. An incredible cyclist, sailor and windsurfer my dad did everything 100 % and with absolutely no regrets. He lived life to the fullest and made sure everyone around him did as well. 

The most amazing thing we learned this week was how many lives and careers he mentored. There was a constant stream of visitors, many we didn't even know, who shared 
the stories of Phil and the influence he had on them. 

December 24, 2015 will mark the seventeenth anniversary of the liver transplant he received. A gift my dad treasured and respected. He had taken medication from a young age to control Colitis which destroyed the liver. He was a prime candidate for a transplant in that he was both physically and emotionally in great shape. We often called him the poster boy for organ transplant.

A celebration of life ceremony is being planned for January 6, 2016 at 2 pm at Britannia Yacht Club.  

Thank you ALL for the notes, prayers and hugs. You have no idea how much they meant to us all. As my dad always said "you choose your friends, they are family".  We've attached an amazing picture (actually an article from the Ottawa Citizen June 1975). It captures everything our Dad was, fit, competitive, funny and someone who loved life!

2016 North Americans Website, Bellingham WA

The website an online registration for the 2016 North Americans in Bellingham, WA are now live. Please visit the website and make plans to be there. How can you not enjoy racing 505's with snow capped mountains in view from the race course? The event is scheduled for June 2-5 2016.

http://sailfleet.byc.org/505-na/

Photo courtesy of Jan’s Marine Photography