The First Hundred Years: Clearwater Yacht Club, 1911-2011

As you have seen in previous chapters, the Clearwater Yacht Club has had the honor of being home to some outstanding sailing champions throughout her history. Although many CYC members, both past and present, have participated in, and won, many races, the careers of several of these sailors stand out. This chapter will give brief biographies of a few of the club’s stellar athletes. The chapter will begin, however, with reflections on what it means to be a champion. The following excerpts are taken from a speech made by Zach Railey to the members of the Clearwater Yacht Club just before he left for China and the 2008 Olympics from which he would bring home the silver medal. His chances for success in China were unknown. His sister Paige (whose chances of winning the gold medal would have been excellent had she won a seat on the US team) and three other CYC Youth Sailing graduates had just missed their chance to join him in this most prestigious competition. In sailing, unlike many other Olympic sports, only one athlete is A Century of Champions Chapter 13 119