Yesterday I received a Christmas card from Margaret Sibold, widow of the late, lamented, Gene Sibold, who taught most of us quite a bit about how to sail a boat fast. I had the pleasure of racing against Gene from the day I met him in 1972, until he retired from racing, shortly before his death a few years ago. Margaret enclosed Gene’s copy of the Deed of Gift of the Order of the Sideways Hoist, and asked what had become of the trophy.
During one race in 1980, Stu Bledsoe, Ken Partlow, and myself, observed a most interesting sideways spinnaker hoist taking place aboard Gene’s boat. Inspired by this occurrence, we drank a little wine, manufactured a trophy, wrote a deed of gift, and started an SSSS award.
The trophy made the rounds for a few years, and then disappeared, which comcerns us. I had manufactured this trophy in my shop, carefully painting the sideways kite in the numbers and colors of Gene’s boat of the time, his Cal 33, Small World II. Would it be possible to publish this letter in the Ship-to-Shore, asking for assistance in locating the trophy, so that we might get it back into circulation? Thanks to the Members who may be able to help retrieve this trophy, and get it back into circulation.Fair winds,
Sherwood Smith
It is good to be reminded about Gene and times past.
The Club has a copy of the Deed on file, but I have not seen the trophy itself in the last 20 years. Does anyone have it? If so contact the RC Chair and we will help you find an opportunity to pass it on.
For those not familiar with the award, a copy of the Deed follows.
In fulfillment of the need to reward outstanding performance on the race course, and being of the opinion that trend-setting innovations in sail performance should be recognized, we the undersigned hereby donate to the South Sound Sailing Society, a perpetual trophy, to be known as
The Order of the Sideways Hoist
This trophy, while remaining the property of the South Sound Sailing Society, shall be awarded to, and proudly displayed by any racer in good standing who, during the course of officially sanctioned competition, shall hoist a spinnaker in violation of the fundamental dictum This End Up.
Possession of the trophy shall remain with the awardee until a subsequent sideways hoist shall be observed on the race course. It shall then become the duty of the present holder of the trophy to have the new recipient’s name engraved thereon, and to transfer possession of the trophy with .appropriate ceremony, at the next meeting of the South Sound Sailing Society. A second possession shall be allowed without undue notice, but should any skipper perpetrate a third sideways hoist, he shall be considered to have retired the trophy, which shall then become his permanent possession. In such case, it shall be incumbent upon said awardee to replace the trophy with another, of equally innovative design.
We recognize that the act of sideways spinnaker hoisting may not be an individual perpetration of the skipper but, interpreting the old law of the sea, we deem the captain eligible for any reward earned by his crew. This, however, need not constrain the skipper in making any appropriate secondary awards.
Dated at Olympia, Washington, this 13th day of January, 1981.
Stewart Bledsoe, Kenneth L. Partlow, Sherwood P. Smith