Robert Williams
On Board Since August 2003
OCSC: Why do you sail?
RW: Ever since I first stept on a sailboat when I was 15 years old I was hooked. There is something about the wind, waves, and sails that seems magical to me. I also love the thrill of gettng around a race cource fast. This sport is a challenge on so many levels. It requies physical agility and strength, team work, constant mental adjustments about stratagy and tactics as well as constant attention to sail and boat trim.
OCSC: What do you enjoy about working at OCSC?
RW: At OCSC I am constantly learning more about the art of sailing. I work with seasoned sailors that have an amazing amount of skill and experience. Even better is how willing every one is to share this immense knowledge with me. Sailing to me encompasses a lifetime of learning and at OCSC I have continued my endless quest to learn and have continued to have a blast on and off of the water.
OCSC: What's your sailing background?
RW: I began sailing at the age of 15. The surf was blown out that day so we put away our surfboards and went for a walk at the near by marina. We found a sailing school that offered lessons and signed up. Right from the start I was hooked. In addition to taking the lessons, I read every sailing book that I could get my hands on. I went to UCLA and joined the sailing team. We raced Flying Junior dinghies against other universities, and we also had a big boat team. With the big boat team we did a lot of ocean racing and long-range training cruises to train for our ultimate goal, which was the Trans-Pac, a race from Los Angels to Honolulu. I have also done other ocean races, including races from Los Angels to Cabo San Lucas and from San Francisco to Monterey. I have also done sailboat deliveries along the California and Mexico coast, as well as across the Atlantic. Since moving to the Bay Area I have been actively racing on the San Francisco Bay on various boats, including J/24s and J/105s.
OCSC: When you're not sailing, what can we find you doing?
RW: When I am not sailing (which is not very often), I can be found hiking or skiing. I work as a computer consultant, specializing in database driven web sites.
OCSC: What are your top five sailing books of all time?
RW: The Aubrey/Maturin series by Patric O'Brian (okay, I know, that's more than five!)