I have so many wonderful memories of Durward going back over so many years. The first contact of sorts was in the 1940's when there was a boat in trouble in the waters of the Bahamas and guess who was mentioned in a Seattle newspaper article as coming to their rescue? Yep, it was Durward. A few years later, 1947 to be exact, I was following Durward in the Worlds in Los Angeles, that he won of course, because the local yacht racing heroes of the Puget Sound Star Fleet, Charlie and Bob Ross were there as well.
Anyway, from there forward while I was busy establishing my friendship with Durward, he at the suggestion of the Race committee "threw" me out of a race in the 1959 World's, at the starting line of race 2 due to my foolish attempt to attempt to cross him while I was on port tack, he taught me a good lesson, for sure.
A few years later when I started building fiberglass Stars, Durward called me and ordered one of my boats. For several years after the delivery of that boat, I would crew for him in various New Orleans and Miami Regattas. The most memorable Regatta was the Worlds in Caracas, Venezuela in the 1973. We did pretty darn good, finishing 5th against a very strong fleet.
Over the next many years there were several major Regattas in Nassau, including, the Worlds of 1976 & 1985 which allowed Karen and me to become very close friends of Durward as well as his extended family, including Holly of course while we were staying with them. What wonderful hosts they were.
I would go on and on like this but I think I should stop here. Thanks to Sir Durward in so many ways from Karen and me and everyone else that has had the good fortune to call Durward their friend.
