Dave Rearick began sailing and racing on the Great Lakes where he won many events, and held records including the single-handed Mackinac race from Chicago to Mackinac Island, as well as the Solo Super Mac – a single-handed race from Pt. Huron, Michigan, to Chicago (600 miles!).
Dave first began sailing at age 12 on the family Sunfish along the southern shores of Lake Michigan. He grew up racing Hobie Cats, Lasers and the Sunfish until relocating to Maine at age 20, and taking a job with the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Rockland.
Sailing in Maine took Dave aboard more traditional craft like open pulling boats and large schooners with lots of variations in between. Since returning to Indiana in 1980, Dave has sailed and raced many boats, from J 24s to Open 50s on the Great Lakes and both coasts.
On the Great Lakes, Dave is most often associated with the well-known boat Geronimo. On Geronimo, along with all the various crewed races, Dave was able to pursue his passion for single-handed-sailing. Since then, he has competed in many races including seven single-handed Chicago-Mackinac races and two single-handed Super-Mac races between Chicago and Port Huron, Mich.
He is a lifetime member of both the Lake Michigan Single-handed Society and the Great Lakes Single-handed Society. Along with his many placings in various races, the most meaningful award presented to him came in 2004, when fellow members of the Great Lakes Single-handed Society awarded him the Mike “Laughing Gull” Silverthorne Award for the “sailor most exemplifying the spirit of single-handed sailing.” Likely the highest achievement a sailor can receive is the respect of his fellow competitors.
In 2002, Dave helped fellow single-handed competitor, Tim Kent, to prepare his boat Everest Horizontal to compete in the Around Alone Race-A race which pitted the best international sailors in a 27,000-mile single-handed race around the world.
Dave has also worked with and helped a number of other Solo Ocean Racers prepare for their races. All that will serve as valuable preparation for Dave’s plan to single handed circumnavigate the globe beginning on October 1, 2013 from Newport, RI to Newport, RI. Read all about that here!
Since taking over command of Bodacious Dream in late 2011, Dave has raced Bodacious Dream in 2 Atlantic Cups (2nd in 2012, 1st in 2013 w/ co-skipper Matt Scharl) Transat Quebec-St. Malo, the Normandy Channel Race, Mondial Class 40 World Championships.
On June 14, 2014, Dave completed a long-dreamed of single-handedly sailing Bodacious Dream on a circumnavigation of the globe. Dave left Newport, RI on October 2, 2013 on what was to prove a voyage of adventure as well as one of learning and discovery. Learn more about that voyage here … http://bodaciousdreamexpeditions.com/map-treasure/
Sailing accomplishments: • 27+ Chicago Mac Races • 30+ Tri-State Races • 30+ Columbia Races • 7 Solo Chicago Mac Races (Set Record in 1998 • 2 Solo Chicago-Port Huron Races (Set Record in 1999) • 4 LMSS solo Trans-Michigan Races • Newport to Bermuda Race, Montego Bay Race, 2 TransPac Races, 2 Atlantic Cups (2nd in 2012, 1st in 2013,) Transat Quebec-St. Malo , the Normandy Channel Race, Mondial Class 40 World Championships, and many other races and sailing events.