J/30 Class Association Presidents |
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| Date | Name | Hailing From | Boat |
| 1981 – 1982 | Jim Stuursma | Grand Rapids, MI | Jellybean Express |
| 1983 – 1984 | Tom Babbitt | York, ME | Bravo #267 |
| 1985 – 1986 | Tom Harrington | New York, NY | Obstreperous |
| 1987 – 1989 | Ron Peterson | Annapolis, MD | Valkyrie #425 |
| 1990 – 1991 | Bill Raney | Wilmington, NC | Double Jeopardy #405 |
| 1992 – 1995 | Terry Rapp | Riverton, NJ | Wooly Bear #2 |
| 1996 – 1999 | Bob Rutsch | Chevy Chase, MD | Bebop #481 |
| 2000 – 2002 | Dennis Bartley | Oak Park, IL | Planxty #205 |
| 2002 – 2009 | Carl Sherter | Waterbury, CT | Fat City #76 |
| 2002 – 2009 | John McArthur | Stratford, CT | Smiles #115 |
| 2009 – 2019 | Dave Erwin | Destrehan, LA | Zephyr V2.0 #87 |
| 2009 – 2014 | Bill Kneller | Portsmouth, RI | Rhapsody #348 |
| 2015 – 2019 | Dan Mather | Oswego, NY | Crusader #530 |
| 2020 | Doug Stryker | Annapolis, MD | TOTALed MAYHEM #526 |
| 2021 – 2022 | Bruce Irvin | Annapolis, MD | Shamrock #488 |
| 2023 – | Heidi Frist | Annapolis, MD | Suzie Q #203 |
We’ll be publishing some stories from past presidents and long time J/30 Class Association members to share with everyone. Below is a message from Tom Babbitt who owned Bravo – Hull #267. Tom hails from Maine and was the J/30 Class Association President 1982-1983.
The J/30 was our second cruiser racer and what a relief it was to get out of an IOR inspired death roller, to the J/30 which could actually beat a J/24. Jane and I have always treasured our memories of cruising that boat in Maine with the double quarter berths and otherwise huge interior. Our youngest daughter had her first week long cruise at age three weeks with the basinet gimballed below between the interior hand rails.
When not cruising, we raced seriously at the Regional, District, North American and Mid Winters – which is how Jane and I some how got involved with the class. We experienced terrific growth during our tenure and it was great fun getting to know the enthusiastic J/30 owners around the country. I know Jane put her heart and soul into the J/30 Journal applying her skills as a graphic artist. I think the single best memory was drafting and implementing the owner – driver rule for the class. I think that really set the class apart and I’m delighted that 30 years later the class still has great vitality.
Tom Babbitt,
J/30 Class Association Past President (1983-1984)
