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member, but soon aged out, so she joined Pensacola Yacht Club, whose age
limit for their Transitional Membership was 35. Micki continued actively
racing by participating in regional and national races. She participated in the
Pacific Cup, which went from San Francisco, California to Hawaii, becoming
PYC's Offshore Sailor of the Year in 2000. In 2003, Micki was part of an
Adams Cup team (United States Women's Sailing Championship) which is a
coveted female regatta. Eliminations were held throughout the country, with
the finals being raced in a different type of boat
each year. Micki and her team made it through
Micki sailing in the Laser Radial
all three levels of the Adams Cup competition,
Nationals in 1995
racing against the best women sailors in the
country. The finals were held at the San Francisco Yacht Club. She was proud of
their sixth place finish among such an accomplished group of women sailors. Micki
also raced in the Thistle Women's Nationals Regatta, winning it twice. She got back
into racing in the GYA Capdevielle regattas, Laser regattas, as well as PHRF club
Micki at the helm of the
regattas. She crewed on Stan Wilusz's Melges 24 and even skippered the Melges to
Melges 24 with Michelle
win the Race for the Roses in Pensacola with Bev Wilusz, Shari Gross and other
Mitchell, Shari Gross, and
Phil Pritchett returning from FWYC members.
the Baytown Memorial Day
Regatta around 1996
Working for West Marine for thirteen years, Micki moved all over the country. In
2008 she made it back to Fort Walton Beach. She became a yacht broker at Legendary
Marine. That move also brought her back to the Fort Walton Yacht Club, finding many of her childhood friends
and many familiar faces still at the club.
Micki's joy and adventure of the sailing lifestyle began at FWYC, and drew her back here. However, she says that
the life-long friends that she has made at FWYC is paramount. A case in point recently was when her house in
Destin flooded during the April flood this year. "Friends from the yacht club came and helped move furniture, pull
out carpet, remove the wet sheetrock and clean up the mess caused by the flood. I'm forever grateful for my yacht
club friends," Micki said and added, "When I moved back to the area and rejoined FWYC in 2008, it felt like I was
back home. I love it here. I'm never leaving again!"
If you would like to share your experiences growing up at FWYC, let us know. Email - Faye Black, [email protected].
Join us
for
Lunch at
the Club!
Every Tuesday,
Wednesday,
Friday & Saturday
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
~ Fort Walton Yacht Club, Established in 1951 ~