By Don Sanford

This morning I received a message that I knew would come, I was just hoping that it wouldn't come this soon. Our good friend Steve Yost passed away this past Thursday, April 7.

Steve has been a member of MYC, since birth or at least since 1971 when he began racing an X boat with his sister Anne. Since then he's been an active, well very active, member of our club. Recapping a few things that I recall, Steve raced his M-20 for a number of years and was a founding member of the I-20 fleet. Steve was an outstanding sailor and upright citizen. How outstanding you might ask? If you happen to have a copy of the 2006 MYC directory, you'll see Steve at the tillers of his I-20 Pizazz roaring upwind. It was with that form that he and Scott Noles took home the ILYA I-20 Championship in 2001. Steve also won the very first I-20 National Championship in 1998. And, how upright? I personally know a MYC member who sent his then, 16-year-old son and hot shot junior sailor to an I-20 regatta with Steve. Both returned home safely with no incident, at least any that were reported.

Steve served our club on the Board of Directors and then as Vice Commodore, Commodore, Rear Commodore and probably a few other positions that I forgot. Steve was also our trophy chair for many years and has supported our club through his position as Manager of our local West Marine store.

As I recall, in the spring of 2009, Steve had surgery for lung cancer. That fall he had another round of surgery for cancer in his esophagus. It's been a long road for our friend. I wish him well as he joins the other sailors who are waiting for Carl to fire the warning gun at the big regatta in the sky.

Fair winds, my friend.