Meet the Team: John Flanigan
When the team sat down to make the decision to move to a faster, more modern racing boat, we knew we needed more crew with a different skill set. Greg quickly piped up with, “I know a guy.” He detailed a racing buddy with a lot of open ocean experience and the right sort of attitude, but buried the lead a bit when he only mentioned it was his dad at the very end. We’re happy to have John as part of the crew, though this does mean we have two generations of Flanigan trouble to contend with.
The newest addition to the team has been racing sailboats since 1960’s on the Chesapeake Bay and East Coast. In the past year John, Greg, Admiral Karen, and crew won class A in the Great Chesapeake Schooner Race with their Schooner “Tom Bombadil” as well as cruising to Down East Maine. While John lacks team Unsalted Nuts’ dubious bona fides of ocean sailing in Eleventh century viking technology he has some sailing experience:
Construction/ reconstruction of the rig, interior, engine and systems of a 64 foot schooner interspersed with multiple cruises of the East Coast and a live aboard year on Cape Cod Bay.
1995-1999 sailing circumnavigation via Panama Canal, New Zealand, Cape of Good Hope covering 60,000 miles with wife (Admiral) Karen and children Greg and Eileen.
1985-1986 Atlantic Circle (3/4 circle?) from the UK to Chesapeake Bay via Brittany, Mediterranean Sea, Canary Islands, and Caribbean Sea. Highlights included crossing the Atlantic with the only R2Ak competitor honored with a naked portrait on the official website and low lights included being the closest vessel to the sinking of Pride of Baltimore 1.
Co-inventing (at least for my East Coast Prep school) the gap year spending 1972-73 sailing on many of the racing legends of the early IOR years as well as Lasers, Etchells, Star boats, and Solings.
Off the boat, there has been enough time in the woods to wear out at least 3 tents and 2 canoes.
