To Be Awarded at the Awards Banquet and presented by the award year Race Committee Chairman
Jim O’Daniel Memorial Trophy
Best Crew Award
The Jim O’Daniel Memorial Trophy is gifted to the Jackson Yacht Club by Robert J. Muller. Jim was a member of JYC for almost twenty years until August 3, 2019 when, while leading a bicycle race, he was tragically hit by a car and killed at the age of 50. The award depicts a Spartan Warrior on a piano black base. The statue is a symbol of the ancient Spartan’s rigorous training in sports, teamwork, tactics, and academics. Jim epitomized these traits, and they are found in all successful competitive sailors.
Kent Danielson taught Jim to sail at JYC and he crewed on many boats; racing with David Scruggs and all of the J22 sailors at JYC and around the country. Jim and I sailed in the J22 for many years as a crew of 2, winning the JYC J22 Series 5 times. Jim was my boat partner and friend, competing with me in several World and National Championship regattas in both the J22 and Viper640. Jim also crewed with me in many GYA Capdevielle and Lipton regattas in both the Flying Scot (which he disliked) and the Viper640. Jim won the Best Crew Award several times, notably in 2009 when we won our first JYC Series. Racing sailboats was Jim’s favorite pastime for many years, always smiling and laughing, while at the same time he was fiercely competitive on the racecourse. Jim was also a brilliant PhD engineer, recognized worldwide as an expert in “blowing s**t up”; which was Jim’s description of his classified work in the computer modeling of explosions for the US Army.
This trophy is to be awarded by the Race Committee annually to the sailor deemed to be the Best Crew while sailboat racing in the previous year. “The person who receives this award should personify Jim’s optimistic attitude, desire to learn, competitiveness, teamwork and excellence in the sport of sailing”
Presented by: Commodore Robert J. Muller
January 1, 2020
2019 |
Margaret Muller |
2020 |
Tim Taylor |
2021 |
Tom Williams |
2022 |
Edgar Buchanan |
2023 |
Bishop Blackwell |