William P. (Bill) Ficker, 89

Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Calif.

Bill died on March 13. A real yachtsman in the greatest sense of the word, he was a winner of the Star Worlds, the Congressional Cup, and the 1970 America’s Cup, skippering Intrepid to a tightly fought victory over Gretel II. He established the Ficker Cup to develop opportunities for the top-level match racing. The America’s Cup Hall of Fame inducted Bill, as did the National Sailing Hall of Fame. Countless individuals benefited from his gracious mentoring as he sought to teach through setting a good example about sailing, leadership, and life. His racing prowess spawned the slogan “Ficker is Quicker.” His many loyal crews would never disagree with this.