International Etchells Class Association
Eight Bells for past class Chairman, Bill Munster
published 01/13/2015
Bill was the International Etchells Class chairman from 1993 through 2000 serving longer than any other in this role. His passion for the Etchells Class was well known and his efforts on behalf of the class will be forever remembered through the class perpetual trophy first awarded in 2000. The Bill Munster Sportsmanship Trophy is awarded annually at the Etchells World Championship to the competitor who in the eyes of the Organizing Authority, Race Committee, and International Jury exhibits the most sportsmanlike qualities of the event. A Celebration of Life will be held at San Diego Yacht Club on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at 1:00 PM. Memorial contributions may be made to the SDYC Sailing Foundation/Jr. Program Endowment, 1011 Anchorage Lane, San Diego, CA 92106.
Fleet 13 member, Andy La Dow shared the following comments about Bill: Bill was a native and resident of San Diego for over 70 years before retiring to Bend, Oregon. Bill attended Army Navy Academy in Carlsbad, CA and graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Bill worked as a commercial real estate broker for many years at Coldwell Banker and then as owner/principal of Munster Properties in Point Loma, CA.
Bill was a true gentle giant who made a huge mark on the sailing community throughout his life. He began his sailing career in the 1960’s on the late John P. Scripps’s beautiful racing yacht Novia del Mar. As the story goes, Bill was in the bar at San Diego Yacht Club and after perhaps some libations, he challenged the strong man of the day Pete Peterson to an arm wrestling match right then and there. Bill proceeded to break Pete’s wrist, which gained immediate notice and earned him a crew spot on the coveted Novia del Mar. The rest is history.
Due to his size, strength, and quick wit, Bill became one of the most sought after Star class crews long before the days of hiking harnesses. Bill crewed for the late Tom Blackaller in the 1972 Olympic Star Class Trials where they sank Tom’s boat named appropriately “Good Grief” in 30+ knot winds on San Francisco Bay.
Bill was instrumental in fostering the growth of the Etchells class in San Diego, also serving as the class International President for many years. Bill crewed for Dennis Conner in the Etchells Worlds on two occasions. After finishing second in Fremantle, Australia in 1990 along with fellow crew mate Andreas Josenhans, Bill and Dennis brought in Norm Reynolds to win the 1991 Etchells World Championships on San Francisco Bay. Bill also skippered his own Etchells for many years, winning the San Diego Bay Fleet Championships and the coveted Orca Bowl among others.
Bill served as Commodore of the San Diego Yacht Club in 1996. He also accepted US Sailing’s One Design Yacht Club of the Year award in 1999 to San Diego Yacht Club in recognition of his efforts to grow one design sailboat racing in San Diego and around the world.
A man that lived a full life, always quick to tell a joke, often not concerned with political correctness yet someone his many friends knew always had their back. Fair winds our dear friend.
And further thoughts from John McConnell: I acted as the International Etchells Class Hon. Secretary and Treasurer throughout the time that Bill Munster served on the IGC as an elected or appointed committee member and as our IGC Chairman. His service to the Class came during some crucial years when ISAF, the International Sailing Federation, was producing some difficult hurdles for the smaller International Classes to surmount. One example was the numbers game for any Class to stay in good standing: numbers of boats built, boats in countries, countries on continents, participants and countries represented at the World Championship, and so on. Many key issues arose every year, for which the Class needed to take a position, in matters of racing rules, race and class administration, and keelboat building requirements. Much of the work done to tighten the Etchells keel design envelope and build our new keel moulds fell within Bill’s time at our helm. What helped the Class tremendously, and the reason why Bill was so important for us during all those years was his credibility and friendship with ISAF’s leaders, because of his many years and success in the Star Class; nearly all of the ISAF leadership throughout the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s were former Star sailors, and Bill knew them personally, and he could phone them and discuss the Etchells Class position on issues of importance. The Etchells yacht is 50 years old this year, and the Class will be 50 years old in less than 2 years; that is a huge lifespan for any boat and Class; and we will have many more years to come because of our wonderful design and dedicated sailors. Bill Munster made the Etchells Class stand tall at a time when we needed it; and I sincerely believe that the Class stands tall today and is one of the greatest of all International Classes because of the efforts of Bill Munster.