What can we say about 'The General' - as he is affectionately called in the singlehanded sailing community - that we haven't said a half-dozen times before. Talk about a guy who can't seem to get enough time alone on the open ocean, Ken has done five previous SSS TransPacs ('84, '86, '92, '94 and '96), his fastest time being 14 days, 1 hour and 30 minutes in the windy '94 contest. He'll do his damnedest to beat that time this year.PHRF rating: 162 Yacht Club: Hawaii Homeport: San Pedro Occupation: Retired U.S. Army officer Age: 68
So how does a guy find time to do all the preparations, racing and 22-day return trips? Easy, he retired 21 years ago (1977) having served two tours in Vietnam, where he flew "anything with wings or rotors." His final rank was brigadier general, hence, the nickname.
Ken has become an icon of this event: an affable old salt who endears himself to his competitors with tall tales and a well-oiled sense of humor. We can't recall him ever winning the darned race, but clearly, it's more about the adventure and post-race camaraderie for Ken. He's kept in touch with many of his former 'adversaries' and looks forward to getting to know this year's batch.
"I usually spend time each day on several Ham nets. It's always entertaining, and I get to chat with lots of old friends." In addition, he'll croon along with his favorite bluegrass and country tunes to pass the time and may read a couple of Patrick O'Brien novels.
After singlehanding back to L.A. after the race, you'd think Ken would be ready for a long siesta. Wrong. He'll fly off on a scuba diving excursion to Palau, Truk Lagoon and Kwajalein.
Navigation: Garmin 100 and 45 GPSs,
Zeiss sextant. Steering: primary: Autohelm 4000 (he has three!); secondary:
Navico 5500, 300C and 2500 (2).
Food: "Same old 'live food, dead
food and dog food." Translation: fresh eggs, vegies, etc.; dried pasta,
rice, cereals, etc.; and canned entrees. His favorite sea meals being chili
and fettucini Alfredo.
Special thanks to: his wife, for
allowing him so much time away from their Virginia home (he'll miss their
46th wedding anniversary while bashing up to the Bay from L.A. for the
start). Also, Dair Sails of San Pedro.
- latitude38/aet
June
issue Andy Turpin, Associate Editor Latitude 38 Magazine 15 Locust Ave., Mill Valley, CA 94941 Phone: 415-383-8200, ext. 112 Fax: 415-383-5816 E-mail: andy@latitude38.com |
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