This month, the South Lake Tahoe Windjammers Yacht Club turns its Spotlight on members David and Shari Young.
They met at Humboldt State University as students, and in 1992, David followed Shari to Tahoe. “She thought I was just a random fling; I convinced her otherwise,” says David. Shari adds that though she was engaged at the time, David “was an excellent salesperson” and she married him instead. David and Shari celebrated their 31st anniversary this past August and have made their home in Christmas Valley since 1995.
David joined SLTWYC in 2013. He got really involved “when Mike Robinson asked me to be Rear Commodore and I declined; Russ Noorda asked me to be Rear Commodore and I declined; then Carolyn Robinson approached Shari to ask me to be Rear Commodore. Had to say yes at that point!” Shari joined the club in 2016, saying, “It was the only way I would ever get to see David during sailing season.”
Shari has eagerly worked to expand the club’s social opportunities because, “although sailors are incredibly intelligent, I never really understood what they were talking about when they discussed anything sail-related. Still don’t.” For those who haven’t met Shari yet (editor’s note: I suspect that number is very low), she is outgoing and personable. “I tend to be rather social. I enjoy running amok with my friends, planning parties, and attending those parties. My idea of an excellent afternoon is shopping at TJ Maxx, happy hour at Margarita’s (especially with my good friend Christie because we get easily inebriated together) then off to the Moose Lodge bar where handsome guys buy us cocktails!”
David began sailing around 1992. “Shari’s friend Linda bought Jim Hildinger’s old boat Rubato, and she and I went out on the lake with a sailing book and figured out how to sail.” He started racing with Terry Ogg in 1998, who taught him a lot about sailboat racing. After catching the sailing bug, David sailed on as many racing boats as possible.
David is currently serving the club as Staff Commodore, and his “amazing wife” Shari is our Secretary. They don’t have kids but have always had “several dogs and a cat or two.” David currently stores several boats at their Christmas Valley home, but quickly adds “Don’t bring that up to Shari. She has threatened to post a ‘Free to a good home’ sign on a few of them.”
A big THANK YOU to David and Shari for all their efforts with the South Lake Tahoe Windjammers Yacht Club. Under their leadership, membership has increased and we have a very active club. Thank you!
