On June 17, 2012, the RC Yachting community lost one of its most well known and liked pioneers with the passing of Rich Matt of Oak Brook, Illinois. Rich was one of the founding fathers of the American Model Yachting Association, served as its first president and carried AMYA Membership #004. He was long known for his service to the sport, his experiments with radio controlled spinnakers and to his dedication to the Santa Barbara Class. All of us who knew him and worked with him during his 43 years of continuing contribution to the sport are the better for our association with Rich both on and off the race course. If your club sails on a pond or lake whose owner required insurance coverage, you owe the availability of your sailing water to Rich’s long term efforts in administering the AMYA Site Insurance program.
His friends, his many AMYA associates and the members of the Santa Barbara Class intend to mark his memory by establishing the Rich Matt Perpetual Trophy to be awarded each year to the winner of the Class’ National Championship Regatta. Contributions toward the Rich Matt Perpetual Trophy should be sent payable to: Mark Baldacchino, 13957 Mennonite Point, San Diego, CA 92129.