David Gruver, a protégé of Jerry Ehrlich, who grew up and learned to race sailboats, in Olympia, sailed in last month’s Etchells World Championships in San Francisco. The Etchells is a 3 person, 30-foot one-design sloop similar in design to a Soling. The class has become a hotbed of international racing talent including people like Dennis Conner, Iain Murray, and Philippe and “Shark” Kahn from Pegasus racing.
David began sailing with his father on a Snipe he helped to build in the late 1960’s and raced with Rafe, Ian, Faye and Ralph Beswick on their Columbia 26 Holiday. David’s other sailing neighbor, Stuart Bledsoe, taught him everything there is to know about catamarans on a Hobie 16 and later a Nacra 18. By age 13 he was sailing Lasers, radio controlled boats, and with a variety of local skippers including Mort James, Wayne Smyth, Dean Anderson, John Erickson, and most importantly Jerry Ehrlich. By 16 he was a competitive skilled sailor with a Hobie 16. He raced all over Puget Sound. He sailed offshore in the 1976 Swiftsure on Charles McCann’s Spencer 35 and with Parks Weaver delivering Ken Partlow’s Valiant 40 Liza-K to LA for the 1977 Transpac. Later he organized Mike Cahan’s sailing program with Rage, Serada, and War Eagle, providing lots of great crewing opportunities for his friends. David worked for North Sails Seattle and was recruited to the headquarters loft in Alameda California where he worked with Tom Blackaller. He has raced many trans-pacific races, winning the Vic-Maui at the age of 20 on Cadillac Snapper. He continues to reside in the Bay Area, sailing Farr 40s and a variety of other classes, but focusing on the Etchells.
The regatta was a weeklong event featuring 7 races, sailed in San Francs Bay out of the Richmond Yacht Club. David co-owns an Etchells called I Love my Wife. She finished in the top 10 in the 72-boat fleet in all but one race. Race 5 featured a wire-to-wire victory, with Dennis Conner in 2nd for most of the race. Unfortunately, the regatta rules featured a death penalty provision for being over early at the start. Large groups of boats were over early in several races and received OCS. David’s boat received two. Their final placing was 21st after being in 8th prior to the OCS in the last race. Tito Gonzales, a Chilean pig farmer and former Lightning World Champion, won the regatta. 2nd place was “Shark” Kahn, a 15 year old who last year won the Melges 24 worlds. 3rd went to Iain Murray. Dennis Conner was 19th. For more information please check the web at www.sfetchells.org/worlds.
Dave Elliott, Flying Circus