We have lost a long time dinghy racer, dinghy supporter, and good friend to many in the fleet. Jean Gosse passed away Tuesday. Jean and husband Dave drove down form Shoreline, north of Seattle, for years to attend our races. For many years they raced the blue Lightning. If you could beat them you were doing very well. I remember many times watching Jean go left when the rest of the fleet went right and she would round the mark way in front. She was very experienced at finding the good wind shift.

There will be a memorial service this Saturday April 29. For more info, e-mail me.

Jim Findley

I first met Jean the very first day of our dinghy races. There was a little old woman helping people rig. She asked if anyone could race. I told her yes, but one needed a boat. It seemed they had all been launched. No problem. She went to her truck and pulled an El Toro out of the back. She slung it over her back like a turtle shell. It was a pretty boat, well maintained with a blue hull with bright gunnels. I said so as she carried it to the water. She kind of grunted a thank you. Then I looked in the truck and saw her show boat, all shiny bright work no paint to be seen. Eric Egge said something about seeing her at the nationals in San Diego.

Jean and Dave drove up from Shoreline because they thought the dinghy racing was something special and they wanted to be a part of it. They were for over twenty years. They came up to race from the beginning of the program until Dave got too ill. They even attended planning meetings. She liked little boats. She knew a lot about them and she shared her knowledge widely. The fleet has already missed them.

Jean sailed all her life. She told stories of racing Great Pelicans. The fleet meeting for a picnic, everyone pulling tables and chairs out of the little boats to set up on the lawn. She wrote for the S-t-S about cruising the Sound in Stars years ago. She also wrote about cruising European rivers. Still there was much more to her sailing life before she joined us than I know. They owned, at one time or another, more different kinds of boats than I can keep track of.

Jean was a sailor. We were lucky she joined us. She will be missed by more of the sailing community than just our fleet.

Steve Worcester