Tragedy at Worlds - David Thompson

[Tim Polaski]

From the Sunfish Worlds website:

CHARLESTON, South Carolina—Charleston Harbor had the appearance of a mill pond when the international fleet of 98 sailors launched their boats today at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, but by race time shortly after 2:00 p.m., a steady 8 to 10-knot southeasterly breeze had materialized. After a brief postponement, the race committee managed to orchestrate two five-leg races as 1.9 knots of flood tide moved across the racecourse.

The first contest witnessed a tragic incident at the start. David Thompson, a 55-year-old racer from Bridgton, Maine, fell into the water just seconds after the starting gun, and floated face down. It’s still not clear whether Thompson suffered a heart attack, but his close friend and fellow Sunfish racer, Dave Stewart, said later that Thompson was taking medication for a number of ailments. Almost immediately, fellow competitor Andres Cano-Alva of Peru jumped off his Sunfish and into the water to assist, as did a volunteer from one of the nearby judges’ boats. Thompson was eventually transferred to a U.S Coast Guard boat and sped to shore where he was met by a team of paramedics and taken to East Cooper Hospital. Unfortunately, the medical professionals were unable to resuscitate him. A brief memorial was held for him that evening, and the competitors observed a moment of silence in his honor.


My heart and prayers go out to David's family and friends in their time of grief.

 

[blueberry]

It's a very sad story. At least he passed away doing his passion. I offer my condoleance to his family and friends.

 

[PuertoRico]

very sad RIP

 

[58984 EW]

For those who didn't meet David, he was a relatively new Sunfish sailor who had decided he wanted to race at the highest levels available during the winter so so he could sail his best at home on his lake in Bridgton, Maine in the summer.

David drove 5 hours each way from to Barrington, RI for the frostbiting series nearly every winter Sunday and never seemed to think it was a big deal. Up before dawn to make the drive and home hours after dark, he'd rather talk about his wife, tell a story, or lament how health problems meant he "couldn't even have a damn cheeseburger. " He drove a long way to sail in pain.

The morning of the day he died I had a conversation with David before he set out to compete on day 2 at last week's worlds in Charleston. He felt that someone had been sabotaging his boat. "My gooseneck is moved back to 18 inches and my hiking strap is untied," he told me waiving his omnipresent cigarette/downwind indicator. "Someone doesn't know I' m not worth a damn in a blow." He pointed at the tide sweeping past the beach toward Fort Sumpter, pulling the wind with it. "Someone knows I'm ready to dominate this thing," he laughed leaning against a palm.

He told me he was a "mystic" and was going to try a port tack start against the tide and 99 top sailors. "I think I can do it," he said. He looked tired.

Hearing only after his death about his time as a wild horse trainer, a musician -- he played piano, organ, trumpet, accordion, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, and the recorder -- and computer enthusiast (http://www.d2tmusic.com/), I gained a fuller view of a guy who sampled life as he encountered it and pushed himself to enjoy (if not master) every hobby with the passion of a convert.

His unique world view and drive made him stand apart from the masses on the starting line. He was a multi-colored AMF (http://www.d2tmusic.com/matchrace_8_03.jpg)
in a world of monochrome Norths. It's safe to say that few who met David will forget him. He lived by his own rules and he died doing what he loved.

David had been to one other Worlds: 2004 in Hyannis, MA. His lighthearted Web log (http://www.d2tmusic.com/sailschedule_worlds04report.html), where he quotes Nelson Trafalgar and talks about "pressure building over the Kennedy Compound" without a hint of sarcasm, goes into detail of his experiences at the event. l liked this quote, where he describes his first race at a World Championship: "After a couple of tacks up the middle looking for clear air I found a lane on port tack and started passing a few boats. I must have been more excited about actually racing in the Worlds than I realized because I sort of forgot to breathe ... My whole body cramped. I couldn't move a muscle."

Charleston was his second worlds, and he was clearly soaking it in, even has he nursed his health.

Few saw what happened on to David. It turned out David died of a massive heart attack attempting to cross the fleet after a pin-end start on port tack, just as he had said he was going to do. Folks in the crash boats said he crossed several starboard tackers before falling off into the pack and out of view. Even young Andres Cano-Alva of Peru, who abandoned his race to jump into the harbor to try to save David, didn't see him fall into the water.

We'll miss him in Barrington this winter.

Eric Woodman
58984

 

[Tim Polaski]

Well said, Eric.

Thanks for the post.

 

[jowen64]

I can't thank you enough for that insight into the life of David Thompson. As someone who hasn't raced my Sunfish, but would rather be sailing it more than doing anything else on Earth, I feel like I know this stranger. How great would the world be if we all approached it with such zeal and unintimidated wonder. Sixty degree water and fifty degree air temperatures notwothstanding, this makes me think I may get a sail in on Lake Erie this weekend. Carpe Diem before it "carpe's" you.

 

[Wavedancer]

Let me add a personal note to the fine tributes Tim and Eric wrote.

I first met David Thompson during the 2004 Worlds in Hyannis (MA). On the water, to be specific, where we battled (way) in the back of the fleet. Later on, we reconnected on land. Let me explain. After the racing is over, Worlds' participants have to endure a scramble to properly return the boats to Vanguard. Just about everybody wants to get this done ASAP, but with 100 boats that need to be cleaned up thoroughly, checked for damage, and packed up, one at a time, to be loaded into the Vanguard container, patience is at a premium. Earlier during the actual racing, I had overtightened a leaking bailer and, as a result, could not uncouple the top from the bottom when taking the boat apart. David Thompson's boat happened to be nearby on the parking lot, and he offered to help. Went to his truck (or car?) and came back with a giant adjustable wrench. My bailer problem was solved. This was a bit beyond the call of duty and I truly appreciated his help during a somewhat stressful time. We talked some and parted in different directions when it was all over (Maine and Maryland, respectively).

This year in Charleston, we met at the Worlds once again, queuing up initially for registration, and later on for dinner. David, still with the full beard, remembered my name (after two years!) and we chatted quite a bit about sailing, not surprisingly. Found out that he was really serious about doing well at the highest level. But unlike Hyannis, I don't remember crossing him during the racing on Sunday and Monday. And as we all know, David collapsed on the water on Tuesday. When I heard of this tragic event, I was just devastated to loose such a wonderful and unique member of the Sunfish community.

My condolences to David's spouse, friends and family.

May he sail on in peace forever.

 

[thistle2311]

I was a good friend of David Thompson.

When I first met him, he was a newbie sailor who joined the Long Lake Sailing Club in Bridgton Maine. As for me, I am a sometimes Sunfish Sailor who sails at Bolton Lake in CT on occasion in a 1973 AMF sunfish. I bought a north sail and bolton lake board when I watched Steve Langford eat up a mixed fleet at Crystal Lake in Ellington CT while I was on the race committee boat.

On Long Lake In Maine I have sailed the sunfish in a mixed fleet when I didn't have crew for my Thistle. It is a laid back group with some good sailors. Dave started out in the back of the fleet but worked his way up to the middle. When he started frostbiting, he told me that they said he had to get rid of the wood board and go plastic. Since he couldn't afford to buy a board, I gave him one that I had spare. He improved by leaps and bounds.

Once, when I was retying my sails in the middle of the lake before a start and needed a new line, he was alongside, saying, "Here, I have two of everything! It's the Scotman in me!" A memorable guy indeed.

He proceeded to become sunfish to beat, and the days came when whether I was on the sunfish or the thistle, I had my hands full putting him behind me. (We race PHRF with a staggered start based on rating.)

He was always encouraging the other sunfish sailors and working on getting a fleet on the lake. I saw him a few days before he was heading to the Worlds, and he won the race we had that day. I was not surprised he was chosen as the wild card participant for two Worlds. He was that unforgettable.

And still is.

From the Sunfish Worlds website:

CHARLESTON, South Carolina—Charleston Harbor had the appearance of a mill pond when the international fleet of 98 sailors launched their boats today at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, but by race time shortly after 2:00 p.m., a steady 8 to 10-knot southeasterly breeze had materialized. After a brief postponement, the race committee managed to orchestrate two five-leg races as 1.9 knots of flood tide moved across the racecourse.

The first contest witnessed a tragic incident at the start. David Thompson, a 55-year-old racer from Bridgton, Maine, fell into the water just seconds after the starting gun, and floated face down. It’s still not clear whether Thompson suffered a heart attack, but his close friend and fellow Sunfish racer, Dave Stewart, said later that Thompson was taking medication for a number of ailments. Almost immediately, fellow competitor Andres Cano-Alva of Peru jumped off his Sunfish and into the water to assist, as did a volunteer from one of the nearby judges’ boats. Thompson was eventually transferred to a U.S Coast Guard boat and sped to shore where he was met by a team of paramedics and taken to East Cooper Hospital. Unfortunately, the medical professionals were unable to resuscitate him. A brief memorial was held for him that evening, and the competitors observed a moment of silence in his honor.


My heart and prayers go out to David's family and friends in their time of grief.