I got into sailing around 1999 while living in South Carolina (still am) and immediately went to multihulls. I resurrected an ancient Nacra 5.2 and bought every piece of study material I could find...which certainly included Rick and Mary's book and just about every video Rick produced. After getting involved with things, traveling to the keys to race a few times, I got to know Rick and Mary just a little. At some point (probably 2004?), I decided to return to race near my home turf in Ohio (Cleveland) and invite my high school best friend out sailing with me on the Sandusky Steeplechase and the subsequent Put-In-Bay Race week. Having arrived and setup camp in my motorhome on Put-In-Bay before hand, Rick had arranged a shuttle to take the Steeplechase sailors from the Put-In-Bay ferry to our boats back on the mainland where we would start and race out to Put-In-Bay. I was sitting next to Rick on the shuttle bus and he asked me why I came all the way out here to race. I explained that I went to high school in Aurora, OH outside of Cleveland and it was a good opportunity to catch up with one of my good high school buddies. Rick said "Aurora!? - do you know Dick Bliss?". I said "Dick Bliss, my wrestling coach?" I knew Mr. Bliss quite well and have always respected him solidly. It turns out that Dick was Rick's brother in-law and would be on Put-In-Bay racing a Hobie 18 with us. My high school buddy pulled out of Race Week but did the Steeplechase with me (had a great time) and Rick happily loaned me a Hobie Wave to race with them - I had a ball and am honored to have gotten to know Rick (and my High School coach). I spent the next several years attending that event and building friendships and "getting overserved" around town ;-).