2007 SFBFA Awards Dinner

Ok, What's wrong with this picture?

I'm in it. I couldn't help myself. The inner dork in me jumped in at the last second. So high school, I know.

The 2007 San Francisco Bay Folkoat Association held it's 50th anniversary awards dinner at the South End Rowing club down in Fisherman's Wharf, near The Cannery. The back deck had a tremendous view of Aquatic Park and the Golden Gate Bridge... the sun went down before I got a chance to take a picture... sorry. But inside, the Party was jumpin' from the get go. Everyone from Louise Volgelsberg to Mike Goebel showed up for the annual get together.

Mike and Dora Weber arrived at 10am to make sure the dinner was prepared and served. Nice job!
Brock and Faith de Lappe and Pat Kaiser enjoying their time around the table.
Dave Wilson and Tabitha Sisson
Dan Wilson and Leah Fletcher
Mr. and Mrs. Nick Wynn

Tom Reed, Lee Ann Chernack and the god father himself, Svend Svendsen
Bill Dumoulin and Dave Boyd
Soren Hansen, Sophia and Mike Goebel
Dorkus Americanus and Cassandra Kaiser
Pat Kaiser and Dave Thompson

Mike, Brie and Dorkus

Jim Bliss, Hilary and Fred Andersen

Tom Reed jr and Sean Svendsen... he made threats of leaving the Knarr fleet and coming back to the folkboat fleet. Something about our dinners were way less stuffy and more fun.
Mickey Keldsen and Charlotte Jolly
Some girl and some guy who usually always wins, but not this year.... Susan Parker and Peter Jeal

Helen Waldear, Jim and Edie Bryant

Helen Waldear, Dorthy and Bob Frey, Loise Volgelsberg
Joan and Don Wilson
3rd place for the Wednesday evening series... Tom Reed jr.

2nd place for the Wednesday evening series... Peter Jeal. He was so unhappy with 2nd place that he claimed the winner was going to use the perpetual trophy as a Jello mold. Bad form Peter.

1st place for the Wednesday evening series... Dave Wilson. Please, someone tie a bucket to this guy's stern! Someone measure that boat, he can't be that good... can he?

3rd place for the single handed race... Peter Jeal

2nd place in the single handed race... Dorkus Americanus

1st place for the 2007 single handed race... Tom Reed jr. Too bad he didn't go the wrong way this year, I would have won 2 in a row!

What's fun about having a 50 year tradition of excellent racing on the bay is the stories. Bob Frey tells his tales about taking off the rudder of Franny Fox... he claims it was not on purpose.

Trophy glasses from 1977 were donated and engraved for this 50th anniversary party and awarded to honorees who have made valuable contributions to the fleet. John Huebsch was honored for his 20 + years of service running race committees for us.

The Contenders Cup is awarded to the skipper who has not yet broken into the top 3, but has shown tremendous improvement... this is Chris' 3 year in a row winning this prestigious award.

3rd place for the 2007 Season championship went to Mike Goebel.

2nd place went to Peter Jeal and Susi Parker

1st place went to Team Wilson. Don started the year, but due to shoulder surgery his son Dave took over and finished off the year in style. Not only winning the season championship, but the Wednesday evening series, the Dignan award and the SF Cup. Clearly the Wilson family had reason to celebrate... Congratulations Team Wilson!
Dave, Don and Dan

Svend Svendsen was honored with the 50th anniversary contribution to the fleet award and no one could have been more worthy. Svend still does race committee, MC's the Wednesday evening series, give preferential treatment to Folkboats in the boat yard and is always free flowing with spot on advice about your boat. Credited with the first ever fiberglass folkboat, for the right price he'll build you one. A local living legend in his own time still rockin after all these years.

Another special award went to Louise Vogelsberg for importing the 1st Folkboat to San Francisco and starting the SFBFA. She imported Den F191 and started a trend that continues today. She credits the Folkboat with keeping her marrage together although at times it would seem to have maybe had the opposite effect. Nothing like a couple of beers and a downwind leg to Richmond after a wednesday evening race to solve the marital problems.

Mike Weber has always been one of my favorite charatcters in the fleet. He claims he never won a race, but I remember one time he did... it was a Wednesday evening and he awarded the trophy to himself! Always the life of the party, always a story to tell, Mike and his powerboat Califia continue to come out and help people watch the races from the water. When I found out Mike was in charge of the dinner, I knew it would be worth twice the price of admission. Oh, thanks a lot for bringing that picture of me when I was 13 for everyone to look/laugh at.

Helen Waldear and son Micky Waldear were also honored as long time members of our bay sailing traditions. Helens late husband, Gordon Waldear, a season champion, made many valuable contributions to our fleet including the movie Sea Room which can be viewed as a link from out SFBFA web site... a cult classic.

Chuck Kaiser, my dad... 7 times season champion, 11 times Wednesday evening series champion tells his story about how he bought his first folkboat and had no idea how to sail. He just liked the way they looked so he bought one... then he found out they raced them and with a little help from the guys who knew what they were doing he figured a few things out and started winning.... a lot. There was one point where he won the Wednesday evening series 7 times in a row. That's the mark of consistency. Thanks dad, for teaching me how to be observant.

Dave Thompson and Evie Ashcroft... hard to say one of their names without saying the other. These two met on a folkboat, raced on seperate boats and together and are the nicest people you could ever want to meet. If you can't hear Dave's laugh from across the room, you must be deaf. These two are the main reason our fleet has survived the hard times. They are the glue that keep us all together linking the past to the future... thanks.

With that said... or written, it was easy to tell that a good time was had by all once again at the 2007 SFBFA awards dinner.

Next year I'm definately wearing the blue blazer and not a full on suit... what a dork.