EIGHT BELLS
August 15, 2008 - US SAILING's Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers are
saddened to hear of the passing of Faye Bennet of Beach Haven, NJ. Being the
first to accomplish anything worthwhile takes great effort. For Faye Bennet,
there were many firsts:
- first female judge in the U.S.,
- first women to compete in the U.S. Men's Championship,
- first woman to chair the U.S. Junior Championships Committee,
- first woman to join US SAILING's Board of Directors,
- first woman to be elected president of her regional sailing association
(North Jersey YRA)
Faye was a past chair of the Women's Sailing Committee, as well as U.S.
Women's and Junior Championships Committees. She was also a Vice President
of the U.S. Sailing Foundation, a member of US SAILING's President's Club
and served on numerous other US SAILING committees and councils. Faye, with
help from husband Jake, committed her time, talent, and resources the sport
of sailing from the time she herself was a junior sailor at the Ocean City
Yacht Club (NJ) in the 1940s. She was founder of the first junior program at
the Spray Beach Yacht Club (NJ) in 1950. --
Just so you know a little about Faye:
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Faye was a personal friend to all youth sailors including our young Multihull children. For those of you that may not know, it was because of Faye we were able to have our first US SAILING YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP IN MULTIHULLS. She was host at her club in Long Island and put on a wonderful regatta.
The World is a better place for Faye Bennet and her duck house will not be soon forgotten.
Past Youth Multihull Chairman
Art Stevens
I am very sorry to hear this news...
I had a personal experience with Faye during the first US Sailing Youth Multihull championships back in 2001. This was one of my first major regattas and Faye was a HUGE help, without her assistance I may not have been able to attend and without her I bet there wouldn't even have been an event to attend! Before the event, she answered all our phone calls (and there were a lot!) and helped us figure out all the logistics. During the few days we were down there Faye and my mother became friendly, my mom who is not a sailor was out of her element and Faye took the time to make sure she knew what was going on and felt comfortable.
From my experience with Faye during that weekend, it was evident that she was a wonderful human being that cared for other people and the sport of sailing.
It is because of people like this, that went the extra mile that we have the opportunities we have today!
-Todd Riccardi
Thanks Art and Todd. Always nice to see a wonderful person acknowledged. Sorry to hear we've lost her, but it seems like she will have a lasting impact for our sport. Brian