A letter from Clifford McKay, Jr., in PointsEast magazine mentioned that he was the first boy to sail an Optimist pram in 1947.
His dad, Clifford McKay, Sr., proposed the idea of the little pram as a youth trainer to the Optimist International Club in Clearwater Florida. The club, with its mission of "Bringing Out the Best in Kids" liked the idea. So McKay worked with Clarke Mills who designed and built the first boat in two weeks. It was launched on August 27, 1947, and after a quick sail out and back from the dock, it was turned over to the junior McKay.
According to McKay, Clarke Mills said of this now famous little boat, "She looks a little funny with that stub-nosed bow, but she sails right well."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment