With Sadness

I found out today of the passing of Greg "Smitty" Smith. Smitty was a fixture in the cat sailing community around Florida and Dunedin Causeway. The Tampa Bay Catsailors are renaming the Mini Macho - "Around the Island" Regatta to the Mini Macho - Greg "Smitty" Smith Memorial Regatta.

I hate to hear that. I remember him showing up to Spring Fever last year, he didn't race, but just came to hang out with all the catsailors.

Rest in Peace Smitty <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Condolences to the surviving family and friends.

Not to be confused with the long time cat and ice boat sailor from Kalamazoo Michigan, that shares the same name(Greg Smith)

I found out about this last weekend. RIP Smitty, you'll be missed.

RIP Smitty

This is some sad news. We've lost a lot of east coast cat sailors recently. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I met Smitty the second year that I owned a catamaran. Newport RI was hosting the Cat fest... a huge festival with the Orma tri's and a beach cat open regatta. My first regatta ever and I don't even have beach wheels with me. Smitty was a Dart Sailor and a HUGE guy. He knew everything about Darts... He figured out that I was clueless... helped me get my Dart on the beach... Corrected all of my rigging faux pas. Smitty was a larger then life figure and I really appreciated his kindness.

Several years later I was touring Florida with my trusty Dart and again ran into Smitty at Dunedin Beach.. Same guy maybe a bit bigger ... Now sailing a Dart 20 and thinking about single handing a Hobie 20. Smitty was tying to deal with this very precocious 14 year old. Her dad had let her go play with her Hobie 14 inside the Dunedin cut. She had sailed rings around Smitty and he was getting an ear full of grief from her... One of many great memories of great cat sailing people. Fair winds Smitty!

Mark Schneider

I have started this entry 3 times now and have yet to submit it as i wasnt sure it was my place or needed but here it is anyway.

I sail at Dunedin. I didn't know Smitty personally, but all the guys i now sail with did. I heard many a story about him and one time last year i was around as Smitty told us us about his recent travels.

Anyway, last sunday there were many cats rigging for a St. Pats Day regatta... the uncomfirmed story of his passing went around the beach. I heard many people say the same thing... he loved the area, loved the sport and was a good person. He was full of stories and was a unique guy, but most of all, he had a great heart and was always wanting to help the anyone. He was there when anyone need help and often gave lots of advice (wanted or not) was always with good intentions.

I have always been taken back by how nice, willing to share, and helpfull cat sailors are... Since the first day i brought my new (to me) 1984 Hobie16 to the beach 8 years ago, and 8 or 9 guys came up and talked to me about sailing it and to invite me to sailing events.

If only more people in the world were the same...

I first met Smitty at my 1st Hobie 20 Nationals in St Joe Mich.(1994) I was the last person to show up with about 1 hour to go before the start of the 1st race. Well needless to say the charter boat was in a state of disaray and I had never raced a 20 at that time. Well Smitty was the first to come up to see if I needed some help and steer me around to get the boat weighed etc. It was much appreciated help with the gun about to go off.
Smitty and I became good friends after that and he was always ready to help. In 1999 we hosted the Hobie 20 Nationals here in Pensacola and Greg came up to Race. Well we were a bit caught off guard when 62 boats showed up and only about 40 preregistered.......Smitty pulled out to help and became "Beach Captain". He had the boats off the beach on time and was there for every boat coming in. He was a good man with a big heart.
He was a unique man as all Cat sailors are and he was part of what makes us who we are. He will be missed.
From all of the Key Sailing Team Rest in Peace.

I cannot find information anywhere. When and where did he die? Where can I find an obituary?

And does anyone know how? He was not in the -old age- category. I always wonder why obits don't mention how, especially if someone is younger than 90.

From Tampa Bay Catamaran Sailors' Yahoo! group...

With sadness I inform you of that Greg "Smitty" Smith passed away on
February 29, 2008. Glen had spoken to the medical examiner who
indicated that Smitty passed away of due to cardiovascular
complication.

I am saddened by his passing, I always enjoyed talking with him before and after the races. For those who never met him, he could sail the Inter 20 solo and did so quite often. But he was a big guy.

As a Comercial Pilot, I have to take a flight physical every 6 months, and an EKG once a year. Flunk just one and you are done for years, or maybe forever. I am always interested in what kills pilots, or causes us to flunk physicals. As far as I know, Heart Disease is still the number one killer in the USA. Take care of your ticker if you want to live long.

I'm eating oatmeal for breakfast now and very rarely do I eat red meat. But I was never a Ham n' eggs kind of kid or adult anyway. I grew up on the NH seacoast and I've always loved seafood so that's always my first choice if I have a choice, then chicken, never fried, then what ever the dogs didn't want... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> And now I eat a lot of salads, which I always hated as a kid but Mom made me eat'em. Sucks getting old but it beats the alternative.

Forwarded from Glen Steinke, proprietor of Sail Honeymoon on the Dunedin Causeway:

Greg Smith {aka, Smitty } a Causeway staple since 1978, catamaran sailor extrodinare, passed on Feb. 29 2008. For those interested, a service will be held this Sunday, March 30th at 2:30 pm, Dunedin Causeway and his ashes committed to the waters of Hurricane Pass.
Please tell anyone you know that knew or knew of Smitty, this is short notice and we don't want anyone left out. [color:"red"] It would be great to see a lot of boats to escort him on his final sail out the pass.
[/color] Glen

In another note on the Tampa Bay Cat Sailors grouup, Linda Jo ("LJ") Nicholson wrote"

Most of us who knew Smitty knew that he really loved the beach, the water and sailing. TBCSI with sincerest respect is renaming the Mini Macho - "Around the Island" to the Mini Macho - Greg "Smitty" Smith Memorial Regatta.

The Mini Macho, "Smitty Memorial" is on Sunday April 6th, the day after the infamous Macho Man. However, it can never be said that there was anything mini about Smitty.