Harbor Light News

Sailing On: Dave Irish leaves a legacy of competition, caring and community

People



Dave Irish, aboard his sailboat ‘no surprise’, was remembered this week by friends as a caring, fun-loving, community-minded man. He left huge impact on this place and its people. (Courtesy photoIrish Boat Shop)

Dave Irish, aboard his sailboat ‘no surprise’, was remembered this week by friends as a caring, fun-loving, community-minded man. He left huge impact on this place and its people. (Courtesy photoIrish Boat Shop)

Editor’s Note: There is a weight that comes with the telling of certain stories. Small town community newspapers have a humbling responsibility when sharing a community’s grief and honoring a legacy so large that it touches almost every beloved part of a place. Celebrating the life of Dave Irish is one of those moments for us here at the Harbor Light. It comes as no surprise (yes, pun intended,) to know that no singular article could capture the many facets of his story. These words are simply a small homage to a wise leader, good friend, and of course, the greatest sailor we’ll ever know. Fair winds, and following seas. His complete obituary is also carried inside this issue.

In a community where a lake defines a sense of being as much as a sense of place, the name “Dave Irish” is synonymous with water, wind, and being fully present in the moment. The man who was a living legend in the international sailing community and a local leader in so many different ways– passed away earlier this week. He leaves behind a legacy of family, business, and too many good stories to share in one (or 100) sittings.

Long-time friends Dick Babcock (left) and Dave Irish. (Courtesy photo)

Long-time friends Dick Babcock (left) and Dave Irish. (Courtesy photo)

The Irish family first arrived in Harbor Springs in 1943 (via a sailboat called Loon). Just six years old at the time, Dave spent his childhood exploring the woods and waters of northern Michigan. It infected every part of his being in exactly the way almost all parents who raise children here hope that it might: he became a steward of land and lake, a passionate philanthropist who understood the roots of what makes this region so special, who used his skills to protect and make it better.

“I met Dave in 1961, the summer he started Irish Boat Shop. As I think about him now, the thing that stands out the most is that he was a regular person. He was smart, but not super smart. He tried college and that didn’t work out for him, mostly because he loved sailing more than studying,” said Dick Babcock, in that honest, heart-true way only friends who are like brothers can.

Pictured above in 2018, Dave Irish (5th from the left in the boots) won first place in the J/111 Mackinac Cup Division of the Chicago to Mackinac race on his aptly named boat, nosurprise. He is surrounded by family, friends and crewmembers. (File photo)

Pictured above in 2018, Dave Irish (5th from the left in the boots) won first place in the J/111 Mackinac Cup Division of the Chicago to Mackinac race on his aptly named boat, nosurprise. He is surrounded by family, friends and crew members. (File photo)

Babcock, who worked alongside Dave as Irish Boat Shop was built into the anchor northern Michigan business it is today, recalled some of those key timeline moments in his friend’s life, noting again and again– both with the phrase and stories that exemplify it– Irish was, at heart, a steadfast caretaker with a strong work ethic.

“I don’t think Dave was a super business person, but he was conservative and diligent, worked like hell, and built a successful business. Dave was also not a super politician, nor did he have long-term political ambitions. But he served his community well, as both council person and mayor. And Lord knows that Dave wasn’t wealthy, but he gave of himself to the community. We all know of his involvement in the (Petoskey Harbor Springs Area) Community Foundation and Little Traverse Conservancy. But he also developed the National Ski Patrol at Nub’s Nob, a group dedicated to community safety, at least of skiers. While the Little Traverse Yacht Club has been around since 1895, it was Dave’s efforts in securing a clubhouse– sort of at the expense of the boat shop– and his interest in sailing and racing that revitalized that club to a class organization.”

“Dave acquired the nickname ‘Seagull’ many years ago... because when Dave skied, he wore a hat with ear coverings that flapped like seagull wings. I just texted someone that ‘the Seagull has sailed away.’” (Courtesy photo)

“Dave acquired the nickname ‘Seagull’ many years ago… because when Dave skied, he wore a hat with ear coverings that flapped like seagull wings. I just texted someone that ‘the Seagull has sailed away.’” (Courtesy photo)

It seems the very best people can be memorialized for exactly who they were, and how they shaped the folks around them. Babcock’s stories about Dave Irish are just such reminders.

“Dave was not an easy person to work for, and I think my success with the company came partially because I outlasted others that were probably more capable than myself,” Babcock said, the tone of his voice indicating a smile. “Dave was not above a little hijinks, and I cringe now thinking about some of the things we did. Not illegal, or immoral, but sometimes not very safe by today’s standards.”

Like many of Irish’s friends of 60 years, Babcock has so many great (and funny) “that time when” kind of stories. Some involve motorcycles and water ski ropes and bicycles, others involve friendly high-speed boat chases that may have ended with local police officer Al Reber on a dock threatening to call the Coast Guard, or pre-snowboard era attempts at using a water ski to ride at Nub’s Nob.

But almost every story comes back to this: “Dave cared.”

“He cared about his family, he cared about his employees, he cared about his friends. He always had a smile, and seldom, if ever, said anything bad about anyone else. He always made you believe he was more glad to see you than you were to see him. I have said before Dave was the consummate winner and the consummate loser. He congratulated his opponents if he beat them, especially if they beat him. He never made excuses. Several years ago, he was a heartbeat away from winning the whole shebang in the Chicago-Mac. When I asked him what happened he said ‘I made a dumb move.’”

There is no talking about Dave Irish without swapping sailing stories. He may not have been one for leisurely cruises, but a sailboat course was one of Irish’s favorite places to be (moving, preferably very fast). More than just a skilled sailor himself, Irish’s influence impacted generations of sailors. Over the years, he served as president of the U.S. Sailing Association and vice-president of the International Sailing Federation. At home, he was a sort of fairy Godfather to the Little Traverse Sailors program, and raised up countless talented sailors, some of whom are now internationally known in their own right.

America’s Cup veteran, Matt Cassidy, is one such person. His love for the sport began on the bow of Dave Irish’s sailboat. Cassidy, who sailed in the 2017 America’s Cup and is currently in line to be a part of the United States team again in 2021 in New Zealand, wrote from “Oz” to honor his mentor.

“Dave was one of the biggest influences in my life, and I owe my entire professional sailing career to him. He took junior sailors like me, from Little Traverse Sailors and the Little Traverse Yacht Club race team, and gave us an entryway into big boat racing,” Cassidy said.

“I, like many people before me and after me, learned the invaluable lessons of how to be a hard worker, a great teammate, and most importantly, to always have fun,” Cassidy wrote. “Dave lived this every time he was on the water. Racing sailboats was his happy place, and his infectious smile was a dead giveaway that he wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.”

Longtime friend and fellow advocate for connecting young people with all the best activities northern Michigan has to offer, Sandy Baker, called Irish, “the most influential person in young sailors’ lives in this area.”

“He took individuals under his wing and taught them the finer points of racing and sportsmanship. Many of his students have gone on to become world class racers (like Cassidy). And, in some cases, instructors for future sailors. He promoted the love of sailing all through the area in a kind and gentle way that will follow him forever,” she said.

Irish is like the line that zig-zags and criss-crosses, connecting the dots and generations of sailors.

“Talk about contact tracing,” said Susan Ford, whose father, Fred, was a lifelong friend of Irish. “We hear that phrase so much these days. But this is a much more positive version. I remember Dave sailing with Dad. I remember Dad and Dave sailing with Ben Van Dam. The sailing and boating community here are so interwoven. And this interconnectedness, while so strong in this community, reaches so far beyond it. They’re gone but their legacy and influence continues.”

“It’s hard to even think that he’s gone,” Ford added. “The sailing community up here is so closely knit, and it’s because of Dave Irish, Dad, and Dick Babcock. These men, all family men, always felt a pull to the water. Their passion for sailing and family is something they wanted to share, and they did. And not just with their own families. They shared this love with the community.”

“Dave Irish was a rare individual whose life’s work, sailing, was also his favorite thing to do. He shared his love of sailing with countless others. I’m lucky to have been one of them,” said Emmet County Circuit Court Judge Charles Johnson, who crewed for Irish. “He was a world-renowned sailor, a successful businessman and a visionary community leader. His legacy in conserving and protecting the natural beauty of Northern Michigan will live on forever. My condolences go out to his beloved wife, Ann, and the entire Irish family.”

Understanding all the ways wind, when harnessed on water, could be a life-changing experience, made Irish the quintessential competitor and ambassador for his sport on a local and international level, noted Kevin Farrell, past commodore of the Little Traverse Yacht Club and longtime NM and Chicago-Mac racer.

“No one has meant more to sailboat racing in northern Michigan. He was the quintessential competitor, but always had time to share his secrets with others. He was world-renowned for his knowledge and judgment, carefully thinking through the most complex issues, and knew everyone in international racing,” Farrell said.“Through his intervention in 2007, LTYC attracted the 2008 IRC National Championship to the Ugotta Regatta, and the 2008 International Star Class North American Championship. That set the stage for subsequent national and international events in Little Traverse Bay, as well as LTYC inclusion in multiple New York Yacht Club Invitationals. But the best advice he ever gave me was as a new competitor in the Chicago-Mackinac Race: ‘Keep the bow pointed to the horse poop (though he used an alternate word for this) and fudge.’”

Irish’s wry humor and competitive spirit were well-known on the water, the ski hills and trails, and in just about every outdoor sport one could come up with, up north. For kids who grew up in Harbor Springs, this means a lifetime of campfire stories.

“From working for, sailing near and skiing with Dave off and on over the past 50 years, I have some indelible memories: Dave flipping a water snake onto our laps whilst anchored at Garden Island; Dave scraping kick wax from his skis using a hapless hemlock inWyoming; Dave bashing his knuckles on the ceiling fan while dancing the seagull at The Shamrock, Dave talking skiing in a backcountry sauna in Canada; and Dave coming into the shop for a pair of ‘really fast’ cross country skis at age 79,” said Josh Baker, who owns The Outfitter with his wife, Molly Ames Baker.

Baker’s dad and uncle both worked for Irish while they were in college in the mid- 1960s, and his parents met through this connection. Dave and Ann Irish were at John and Sandy Baker’s wedding in 1967, and always served as bonus adults in the Baker kids’ lives.

“Dave, Mrs. Irish, and Sue (Irish Stewart, who took over as president of Irish Boat Shop in 2017) explained, through actions and example, how to run a family business in a small town built around family businesses,” Baker said of how he learned to serve as another anchor business in the Harbor Springs community. He added one of the most important lessons he has taken “from all the Irishes,” is both simple and profound: “how to keep the home fires burning.”

The word “power couple” is not the right fit for Dave and Ann Irish. But maybe “just a really, really great couple” comes close. They raised four children together in Harbor Springs, Tracy, Susan, Perry, and Colin, and they have been instrumental in starting and stewarding most of the nonprofit organizations that weave together to form the backbone of this community.

“Basically every nonprofit you can think of exists, in part, because of the Irishes,” said Jim Bartlett, who considers himself to be a student of Irish’s school of how to live life to the fullest. “And that’s true of so many different other parts of this region too. He was instrumental in getting Dori Sarnes and Walter Fisher together, when Walter wanted to buy Nub’s Nob (Bartlett was the longtime general manager of the beloved local ski hill). That deal wouldn’t have happened without Dave.”

Bartlett said he learned from how Irish conducted business, and how civic-minded he was. “Dave supported me as Mayor and a City Council member when I was first the harbormaster, and one of the reasons I serve on the Harbor Commission, and now as the West Traverse Township Supervisor, is because I saw the way he gave back through service.”

“He will be sorely missed,” Bartlett added. “He was just an incredible guy, who was fortunate enough to play it his way. He could sail, he could ski, he could bike. All you had to do was tell him he couldn’t do something… And he’d run you into the ground. I know. It happened to me on plenty of bike trails.”

As a business owner, Irish took his passion for messing around in boats and built a shop that not only lifted up the sport he loved, but also created good jobs and a sense of family for the folks who worked with him.

“Dave’s employees were always foremost in his mind,” Babcock said. “He made sure people had health insurance. He made sure there were retirement accounts. He took care of people, and not for the accolades. He just did what he thought was right.”

It’s a philosophy Irish Boat Shop president, Michael Esposito, studied for 25 years. Irish was both a mentor and dear friend to Esposito, and finding the right words to memorialize a man who played such a pivotal role in his life was not easy.

“He was a respected member of the community in Harbor Springs, the local business community and the local, national and international sailing community,” Esposito said.”He was a competitor, but always willing to share his knowledge and bring others along. It was rare to see Dave racing without a ‘junior’ on his team, often driving the boat. The list of young adults that grew up under Dave’s wing sailboat racing is long and includes many who have participated at the highest levels of sailboat racing. Of his long list of accomplishments, I think he would say bringing up young sailors was right at the top. We will miss having Dave around the boat shop; I’m sure Harbor Springs feels the same way.”

There is no question about this.

“Back in the 1960s, moving north wasn’t too fashionable. I honestly believe Dave is part of what made this community so attractive to be a part of over the years. His leadership and the way he truly cared about people in this town, in his business, and in his life, it’s a big reason why anyone would love to live here now,” Babcock said.

“Dave was an ‘aw shucks’ kind of person. You wouldn’t believe how many flags, trophies, and awards he won. With rare exception, they were tucked away in his closet and not on public display, and he sure never bragged about them,” Babcock said. “There’s so many stories, and so much more to say. I’m sad, of course, but I’m also sitting here with a grin on my face reliving some of these times with Dave. He was a regular guy. And a good friend.”

The boat that carried Dave Irish to Harbor Springs was called, Loon. A loon’s call is one of the most beautiful, haunting sounds on the water. It would seem a fitting send-off, but another story Babcock sent over, just before this article would go to print, might fit even better.

“Dave acquired the nickname ‘Seagull’ many years ago. I think it was Miles Trumble who tagged him with it, because when Dave skied, he wore a hat with ear coverings that flapped like seagull wings. I just texted someone that ‘the Seagull has sailed away.’”

It’s with equal parts humor, celebration, and grief that the community bids farewell to Dave Irish. As his longtime friend Dick Babcock wrote, we hope, “the rest of eternity for him is a broad reach spinnaker run.”