2024 SAYRA GRADY FOSTER RACE COMMITTEE SERVICE AWARD

in conjunction with the 

Brotherhood of International Mark Boat Operators

2024 SAYRA Grady Foster RC Service Award

The SAYRA Race Management Committee is extremely proud to present the Annual SAYRA Grady Foster RC Service Award in conjunction with the Brotherhood of International Mark Boat Operators.  This award was first presented to Grady Foster in 2010 and is being presented again to some very well-deserving RC volunteers.

Interestingly, the Brotherhood was formed at one of our Sister Cities - Savannah, GA in preparation for the 1996 Sailing Olympic Games.  According to official documents, after a very difficult day in very big seas, a group of mark boat operators banded together and issued a set of demands to the Olympic Race Officials.  It is unclear whether their demands were met but in any event this banding together formed the nidus for the Brotherhood affectionately known as BIMBO’s.  In 2023, the title of the award was renamed to the Grady Foster RC Service Award expanding coverage to all RC volunteers.

After nominations are made, the committee sends the award winner’s name by carrier pigeon prior to SAYRA AGM and this year’s award winners are no strangers to being out on the racecourse.

Our first recipient is an avid and very experienced sailor who received her BIMBO invitation by chance from Grady Foster. She was in her Boston Whaler watching a regatta in which she was not sailing and got a surprise VHF call from Grady, who was working the regatta. He said “how about go pull that mark, move it to the new location and reset it there”, which she dutifully and single handedly completed. The rest is history as she volunteers to work every Savannah YC regatta in which she is not a competitor. Always positive, polite, professional and cheerful in person and on the radio air waves, she works tirelessly to put on excellent regattas.

Our second recipient has a true passion for sailing, where his commitment to fostering the sport and supporting fellow sailors has been exemplary. His involvement with SAYRA has not only elevated the standards of race management but has also inspired many within our community.  He has consistently demonstrated leadership in race management, often stepping up to coordinate and officiate many regattas. His meticulous attention to detail ensures that races are conducted fairly, efficiently and safely. His work has directly contributed to the high-quality racing experiences enjoyed by competitors across all of SAYRA.  He has also been instrumental in the education of new race officials leading workshops and training sessions, sharing his extensive knowledge of the racing rules and race management practices.  He has been a proponent of the adoption of new technologies like Buoy Zone and other methods to enhance race management. Through his involvement in various sailing initiatives, especially with Junior and Highschool sailing, he has helped grow the sport, making it more inclusive and appealing to a broader audience.

As a small token of our thanks and appreciation, each recipient of this year’s award will be receiving a gift certificate to West Marine as we thank them for their dedication to our sport.

Please congratulate Ruthie Seese from Savannah Yacht Club and Mark DeGuire from Charleston Yacht Club – Charleston, SC as the recipients of the 2024 SAYRA Grady Foster RC Service Award.

Chip Till – 2024 SAYRA Race Management Chair

NOMINATE A DESERVING PERSON

Recipients of the GRADY FOSTER RACE COMMITTEE SERVICE Award:

2010 - Grady Foster (Savannah YC)

2011 - Chip Till (Carolina YC-NC)

2015 - Johnny Doterer

2017 - Grayson Carter (Carolina YC-SC)

2018 - Ned Stender

2019 - Van Kinnett (Charleston YC)

2020 - Team LLSC - Jeff Lehman, Pat Finnick, Cathy Freeman

2021 - Steve McCarthy (Savannah YC) & David Nance (Carolina YC-NC)

2022 - Matt O'Connor (Columbia Sailing Club - Columbia, SC)

2023 - Michael Fleming (Savannah YC) & Ginger Sutton (Charleston YC)

2024 - Ruthie Seese (Savannah YC) & Mark DeGuire (Charleston YC)

2025 - ???