US Sailing marks with sorrow the loss of Paul Kresge (Dillon, Colo.) on June 13, 2020. Kresge drowned after a sudden fierce storm caused his Star boat to broach and he was swept into the water after the Dillon Yacht Club’s Peak 1 Regatta.
A National Judge and a Club Race Officer, Paul lent his expertise to many events, often judging as far away as Wisconsin. He was a past commodore of the Dillon Yacht Club and a leader in the regional Star Class association and the Sailing Association of Inter-Mountain Lakes (SAIL), the regional sailing association serving Colorado and nearby states.
Paul was also instrumental in connecting racing sailors, race officials and US Sailing when that connection needed strengthening. A respected mentor to many sailors and officials, he was a fierce competitor as well as a race official with a gift for pulling teams together.
“Paul understood the vagaries of the area and the local wind – he knew what Colorado could throw at sailors,” and he was recognized as a PRO who ran safe and enjoyable regattas. “He was a mentor and a friend,” said Curtis Rist, Commodore of SAIL.
For more information, please see the article in Scuttlebutt and a tribute to Paul in the Summit Daily.