Rod Stephens Trophy presented to Bob Arzbaecher

by Kirsten Ferguson on 31 Jan 2012 The Cruising Club of America’s (CCA) 2011 Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship is well deserved by Bob Arzbaecher (Milwaukee, Wisc.) and the crew of the Beneteau 40.7 Sociable for their dramatic rescue of the crew of the Kiwi 35 WingNuts during the Chicago Yacht Club’s 103rd Race to Mackinac held this past July.

The trophy is given 'for an act of seamanship which significantly contributes to the safety of a yacht, or one or more individuals at sea' and will be awarded by Commodore Daniel P. Dyer, III at the annual Awards Dinner, March 2, 2012, at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan.

Arzbaecher has been sailing for ten years with the Sociable crew, many of whom have competed in the Chicago-Mackinac and other long distance races on Lake Michigan. This year, his crew consisted of eleven sailors: Greg Adams, Cathy Patrick, Chris Miotke, Brian Adams, Matt Reising, Dave Patrick, Brian Nagle, Amy Marshall, Pete Duecker, Adam Flanders (all Milwaukee, Wisc.)and Matt Younkle (Madison, Wisc.).

The team’s life-altering moment took place at 11 p.m. on Sunday, July 17, 2011, when a severe squall tore through the fleet of 361 racing sailboats 30 hours into the 333-mile offshore race. After the storm had passed and the sailors aboard Sociable had re-hoisted the mainsail, they heard a whistle in the distance. Shortly afterward, in the black of night, a faint light appeared to port, approximately a quarter to one-half mile away.

Without hesitation, the crew tacked Sociable in the direction of the light and turned on flashlights to signal their presence, which was returned with more light flashes. After lowering the main and powering up the engine, the Sociable crew headed in the direction of the unknown vessel, and as they approached realized that it was upside down with several people standing on its bottom.

Though the squall had passed, the conditions were still rough, with three-to-five foot waves and winds upwards of 20 knots. Sociable used its radio to contact the Coast Guard, and as they came within hailing distance of WingNuts they counted five crewmembers on the boat and one in the water, clinging to the side.

Sociable deployed a Lifesling and circled WingNuts, trying to avoid the mass of lines tangled in the water. The team first managed to retrieve the man overboard, and then continued to circle the overturned boat and retrieve the remaining crewmembers, who took turns jumping into the water and grabbing hold of the Lifesling.

In ten minutes, the WingNuts crew – minus two who were missing – had been brought aboard, taken below and given blankets. Sociable continued looking for the missing crewmembers, but when the Coast Guard arrived with a helicopter and rescue boat, it departed for Charlevoix, Mich., the closest port, and dropped off the WingNuts crew at the Coast Guard station, where ambulances awaited.

'Bob Arzbaecher and his crew of Sociable are to be congratulated for their organization and preparedness in executing the rescue of six sailors,' said Commodore Dyer. 'But the world will continue to mourn the loss of the two crew – Suzanne Makowski Bickel and Mark Morely – who perished that night.'

In addition to presenting its Rod Stephens Trophy, the CCA will present the following 2011 Awards:

Blue Water Medal awarded to Thies Matzen and Kicki Ericson for a commendable 24 years and 135,000 miles of sailing the oceans of the world with a focus in the high latitudes of the Southern Ocean on their 30-foot wooden sloop Wanderer III.

Far Horizons Award awarded to Brian and Mary Alice O’Neill (Bainbridge Island, WA) for an admirable 25-month cruise circumnavigating the Pacific Rim, North Pacific Ocean on their 44-foot Robert Perry Designed sloop Shibui. En route the two delivered school supplies to those in need and toured WWII sites.

Richard S. Nye Trophy awarded to Gary Jobson (Annapolis, Md.) for sharing with the club his meritorious service, racing, and statesmanship in the affairs of international yachting.

Cruising Club of America website