The Bellingham Sister City Association in-conjunction with the Bellingham Yacht Club is pleased to introduce you to this years PacRim Regatta Team from Bellingham!
Team Bellingham is made up of enthusiastic sailors and volunteer Ambassadors from our community and ready to challenge other countries for the PacRim 2012 title as well as looking forward to the cultural exchanges that will strengthen our bonds as Sister Cities.
Representing the Racing Fleet From Bellingham
Terry Tavelli - Racing Captain - I love being on the water and around boats, both power and sail. I grew up power boating on Lake Powell and taught myself how to sail on a Hobie 16. I have been cruising and racing sailboats since my early 20’s and have had the opportunity to participate in long ocean cruises as well as racing boats from dinghies to 68’ custom ocean racers, in local, national and international competitions. I have participated in the Pacific Rim Regatta as a team member for New Zealand (2006), Japan (2008), and Canada (2010). I enjoy the cultural exchange fostered by the Sister Cities organization and the camaraderie and competition of the racing.
Jonathan Knowles – Racer – Jonathan is one of our best racers. We needed to keep his full resume quiet, but he is a great guy, world traveler and the Bellingham Yacht Club Fleet Captain.
Brian Lawrence- Racer - I am excited to have the opportunity to participate in the 2012 Port Stephens, Australia PacRim as a racer. This will be my second PacRim. I first learned to sail at Boy Scout camp as a kid, but didn’t really have that many opportunities to sail consistently until I moved to Bellingham in August of 2007. I hooked up with Jamoca (J36) and have been crewing with them for 4 years. I now have a San Juan 28 which I race as well as cruise. I enjoy the challenge, camaraderie, unpredictability, and joy of just being out on the water. When I am not sailing I am running the business I started when I moved to Bellingham called Tech Guide. I specialize in helping individuals and small businesses easily and effectively use technology. I am looking forward to meeting fellow sailors/racers from the various countries and exploring a piece of Australia!
Steve Racich – Racer – Again, mum is the word, but Steve has been in nearly every PacRim as a racer.
Mike Welsh – Racer - In 2005, Mike and his wife Marian sold their house and most of their belongings and took off from the east coast with their golden retriever on a 16,000-mile road trip crisscrossing the United States. They finally settled in Bellingham. Although Mike had no prior boating experience, he took sailing lessons and then bought a cruising sailboat in 2009. For the past three seasons, he has crewed on a J-36 for the weekly races on Bellingham Bay. Mike has taken a few big bites out of his “bucket list” in recent years as he has learned to sail, he has visited 48 of the 50 US state capitol buildings, and with this trip to Australia, he will have visited all seven continents.
Keturah Witter – Racer - I am very excited to participate in the 2012 Pacific Rim Yacht Challenge. I have been casually sailing since childhood, and have been racing for the last two seasons. I was fortunate to have parents who loved to sail, and I grew up cruising in the San Juan and Gulf Islands. As an adult I love cruising in these areas even more, and I try to race every chance I get. I love everything about the sport: the wind, the tides, the technical aspects of the boat, the camaraderie with crew and with other racers, the solitude and quiet, exploring new places, the excitement at starts and mark roundings, the rules….I could go on and on. When I am ashore, I tutor mathematics and science subjects, and study at University to become a scientist. I dream of sailing to Hawaii, the South Pacific, and Alaska (as a beginning!) and hope to find a career that will support such endeavors. I am looking forward to meeting sailors from other countries that are also passionate about sailing. See you on the water!
Serving As Bellingham Sister Cities Ambassadors
Karen Callery - Bellingham Sister Cities Association 2012 Port Stevens Representative - Karen and her husband Alan have been sailing since 1972, joining the BYC in 1982. She enjoys her C&C 35 sailboat “Catspaw” because of it’s “performance with a bias for civilized living”. Per the performance part, she has enjoyed past PacRim events as sailor, skipper, organizer and ambassador. Because of PacRim, their daughter Heather was the first female to steer the Nakhodka sailboat “Panaev” from Sucia Island to Bellingham. As the Bellingham Yacht Club’s first woman Commodore in 2002, she promoted the 2002 PacRim grandly and now as Sister Cities Port Stephens representative and chairperson of this 2012 event , she is looking forward to visiting Australia again via the PacRim experience. “Maintaining the symbiotic relationship of the BYC and Sister Cities is important to both organizations by showing the fun and excitement of cultural exchanges with our neighbors on the Pacific rim”, says Karen. “Please join Sister Cities and the BYC in promoting world peace.”
Alan Callery - Ambassador - An avid boating member of the BYC since 1982, Alan has held most volunteer positions from window washer to commodore all while enjoying he and past commodore wife Karen’s sailboat “Catspaw”. “Championing the excitement of the Pacific Rim Challenge now is my premier endeavor”, says Alan. PacRim for the last 22 years has challenged and enhanced the cross culture experiences of over 100 people as participants in PacRim, many more when you count the numbers of Bellingham Sister Cities volunteers assisting Bellingham’s PacRim events in the past (1990 & 2002). Alan has participated in past PacRims as sailor, ambassador , supporter, historian and was Chairman of the 2002 event. “I hope new people will discover the joys of community involvement through these cultural sailing exchanges and work to make Bellingham’s 2014 PacRim a most excellent, wonderful event. “We don’t have to raise the bar, but refine the edges and show the world ‘How Bellingham does things!’” continues Alan, “It’s amazing how the Australians sit with the New Zealanders, the Canadians drink Japanese beer and the Russians say G’day to the USA.”
Joe Bartlett – Ambassador - I am Joe Bartlett (aka Jamoca Joe, Jose, and Hoser), member of the BYC for 16 years or so. I’ve been on the seas for 44 years and it’s still my favorite pastime. I choose to move with the motor turned off, but enjoy sea time aboard anything that moves. My experiences include teaching boating, coaching junior sailors, yacht delivery, buoy and distance racing. I’ve filled in at the Bellingham Yacht Club when needed as committee boat, mark boat, racing fleet captain, regatta committees, and most of the club social events. I am now a retired electrical engineer turned realtor, with a few rentals to look after.
Dawn Durand – Ambassador - Dawn and Joe have lived in Bellingham for 25 years and Dawn has been a Realtor for 20 of those years selling houses all over Whatcom County. They have been a team for 30 yrs during which a lot of hours have been spent on the ocean together sailing… crossing to Hawaii and back 3 times and 15 years of racing and cruising their J-36 all over the Northwest. Dawn & Joe’s first PacRim was in 1996 and they have attended every one since, visiting all of the Sister Cities as a part of the US Racing team. Joe has been skipper of the team 4 times. This year, for the first time, they will both be Ambassadors and enjoying the scenery and the fun times with their gracious hosts! They look forward to entertaining all of their old and new friends at the 2014 PacRim in Bellingham!
Brend Holma – Ambassador - Brenda has been a SISU Children Foundation Board member since 2008. (Sisu is a Finnish term loosely translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.) She is also a Finlandia Foundation Board Member and specializes in Speech, Language Path and Education Administration. Her Hobbies inlucde Travel, USIC and Gardening. She is also presently the Arts Education Schools Coordinator for Allied Arts of Whatcom County.
Tapio Holma – Ambassador – Tapio is currently a Bellingham Sister Cities Board Member and has been on the Board since 2005. He is the Past President, serving in 2008-2009. Hobbies include Nature Photography, reading and birding and he is currently the President of Finlandia Foundation, Bellingham.
John Gargett - Ambassador, Photographer and Blogger - I have been involved with Sister Cities since we began participation in the PacRim Regatta and have volunteered to serve as photographer for Bellingham Sister City events. In Tateyama in 2008, I was an Ambassador and Photographer/Blogger as I will be for this years event. From starting with the BYC as a member, volunteer, Trustee, moving up through the Chairs and serving as Commodore in 2002/2003 boating and racing have always been part of my life. I look forward to Australia’s 2012 PacRim, especially if I will be able to make it to Gargett, Australia up north in Queensland. John is currently the Managing Principal of TRUSYS, a specialized security design firm, and is the Director of the TRUSYS Insitute, a learning center for Organizational Resilience. Mr. Gargett is an active Rotarian and hopes to retire in any country that will take him.
Patti Gargett - Ambassador - Patti has made promoting healthy lifestyles and having fun in what you do best a lifetime career. Starting as a professional swimmer, then a Recreation Therapist in the mental health field, the owner of a beachfront resort (Parker Newman Grove), and branding the name Tide Catcher (Tidecatcher.com), a social identity for those that love the water. Their isn’t a water activity or sport activity she has not enjoyed. Pac Rim events continue to sound off her values of enjoying what you love, for it is the love of the water!
Karen Racich – Ambassador – Karen is married to Steve Racich. Other than a retired school teacher (loved by her students and other faculty) we better not say to much.
Bob Snowball - Ambassador - was born in Canada, educated in Canada and the UK, and moved to the US in 1964, and has resided in the U.S. ever since. Upon retirement, he and his wife Carol moved to Bellingham from Santa Barbara, CA in late 1997, where they became members of the BYC. Bob served a two year term as a Trustee of the club, has participated in many club activities, including the PACRIM regatta in Japan in 2008. He is starting his eighth year volunteering his boat to the Bellingham Yacht Club for Race Committee. He is a US Sailing approved race officer, and spends most Wednesday evenings and several weekends a year in the middle of Bellingham Bay.
Carol Snowball - Ambassador - was born in Philadelphia, educated in Boston and Rochester NY. She is an Internationally known artist. Her work has been purchased by numerous museums including the Smithsonian Institution. Sculpture, is her passion, although she is also trained as a professional photographer. She taught design at the Brooks Inst. of Photography in Santa Barbara. Carol moved to Bellingham with her husband Bob in 1997. Her main interest in the BYC is maintaining all the landscaping around the yacht club. She also participates in many club activities, and went to Japan for PACRIM in 2008. She enjoys cruising the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands.
Jane Sylvester - Ambassador - In the Bellingham Yacht Club for 8 years, I have helped with the race committee for Wednesday night racing, PITCH, Etchell Regatta, One Design and many other races. I have crewed for Women On Water. I served on the BYC Board of Directors for 2 years and was the Co-Chairman for the Programs Committee. In 2008 I was an Ambassador for the Japan PacRim and look forward to serving as an Ambassador this year. Being passionate about the water and loving sailing it is a great way to meet others who share this same love.
Dick Vetter - Ambassador – Dick and his wife Mary Jane have been in Australia for months now. You will just have to meet them to find out what great people they are.
Mary Jane Vetter - Ambassador - Dick and his wife Mary Jane have been in Australia for months now. You will just have to meet them to find out what great people they are.
Marian Welsh - Ambassador - After spending more than 25 years working and raising two children on the east coast of the United States, Marian and her husband Mike sold their house and most of their belongings and headed out on a four-month road trip. They ended up in Bellingham where they have lived for the last six years. Once settled, they took sailing lessons and bought a sail boat, and Marian is looking forward to the upcoming cruising season. Her other interests include reading, needlework and travel, and Marian keeps busy with volunteer work at the yacht club, the local theater guild, and the literacy council.
[...] The 2012 Team [...]