Gates Willard, a Manhasset resident for 49 years, was born in Providence, RI, on Feb. 1, 1930, and grew up in Harrisburg and Bethlehem, PA. He graduated from Deerfield Academy, and received degrees in geology from Lehigh University and the University of Michigan. He was an exploration geologist for New Jersey Zinc out of the Platteville, WI office, and for Stanolind Oil in Tyler, Texas. Wishing to do something 'more important' he returned to the Northeast to take education courses at Queens College, Columbia and Adelphi. He started teaching science in the Manhasset Junior High School in 1957. He became assistant to the principal and later principal of the Munsey Park Elementary School in Manhasset until his retirement in 1983.

Throughout his life he had a strong interest in autos. As an active member of many antique, sports, and classic car clubs over the years, he restored quite a few prize winning vehicles. After retirement he developed his interest in old automotive toys. His hobby of restoring and collecting them provided him the opportunity to travel to Europe annually to visit toy fairs, museums and collections. His depth of knowledge, skill and personality made him well known in collectors' circles.

Gates Willard passed away on April 5, 2006 after a long siege with Lewy Body Disease. He leaves behind his loving wife, Evelyn, his son in Smithtown, NY, Bruce Bradford Willard, a director at Telephonics in Farmingdale, his daughter-in-law, the former Nicole Winship Libby of Manhasset, his granddaughter, Andrea Hope Willard, and his sister, Elizabeth Bradford Rusnell of Roswell, NM.

Funeral arrangements were private. Burial was at the Hauppauge Country Church where he was married 53 years ago.

The sailing community has lost a dear friend. Edward I. du Moulin, of Sands Point, died on March 29, 2006 at home, surrounded by his family. Ed was involved in the management of more America's Cup campaigns than anyone in the history of the Cup, contributing his business acumen, leadership qualities and organizational skills to seven campaigns (1977-1995). He was one of the organizers of the America's Cup Hall of Fame in Bristol, RI, and was Chairman Emeritus of the America's Cup Hall of Fame, having served as its first chairman from 1993-1995. In 2000, Ed was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Ed was a past Commodore of Knickerbocker Yacht Club, a member of New York Yacht Club, the Storm Trysail Club and an honorary member of Manhasset Bay Yacht Club and the Port Washington Yacht Club. He was also a founding member of the Port Washington Public Library Nautical Center and a member of the Manhasset Bay Sailing Foundation.

After a successful career on Wall Street, Ed retired from Bache, Halsey, Stuart, Shields as vice chairman in 1975, having joined the parent company, JS Bache in 1933. His "retirement" did not last long. Ed's son Richard, a jib-tailer on the 1967 contender Constellation, gave Ed and his wife, Eleanor, their first personal interest in the Cup. Richard, along with his 1974 Intrepid crewmate, Andy MacGowan, (who grew up in Manhasset) encouraged Ed to join with George F. Jewett Jr., from San Francisco, to form the first syndicate in 1977 with the 12-Meter Enterprise. This was followed by Freedom in 1980 and Liberty in 1983. Ed participated in an advisory role to management in 1987, 1988, 1992 and 1995.

It was also in 1977 that Ed, along with his good friend, the late Arthur Knapp, started thinking about bringing match racing to the east coast. While watching the Congressional Cup in Long Beach, CA, the only match racing event in the United States at that time, Ed turned to his friend and said, "Why not create an East Coast Match Race Series?" Five years later, the Knickerbocker Cup was born. Throughout the years, the "KCup" as it is affectionately known, has brought international match racers to the shores of Manhasset Bay. Many of the past winners have gone on to great careers in sailing, including participation in the World Match Racing Tour (formerly Swedish Match Racing) and the America's Cup. In 2004, Ed was honored at the Knickerbocker Cup dinner for his many years of involvement in the Cup. His closing remarks, aimed at the visiting twelve crews, were, "Sail Fair, Sail Safe, Sail Fast."

Back in 1992, Ed and Dennis Conner spoke before a packed audience at the Manhasset Bay YC and announced the establishment of the Dennis Conner - Ed du Moulin Junior Match Racing Trophy, the purpose of which was to encourage match racing in Manhasset Bay. In 2004, Carrie Morea, his youngest grandchild won this award. At the time, Ed said, "In the 21 annual Knickerbocker Cups, only one was won by a sailor from Manhasset Bay, and that was in 1984 when my son, and Carrie's uncle, Rich du Moulin won the Cup. It was our hope that one day we would produce another winner. The winning team this year from Knickerbocker YC is Carrie Morea on the trapeze and Danielle Powers as skipper."

In 1966, Harman Hawkins (MBYC), Duke Dayton (PWYC) and Ed du Moulin (KYC), all Race Committee chairmen at their respective yacht clubs, came up with the idea of combining the responsibilities of race management on Manhasset Bay. Thus was formed the Cow Bay Racing Association, which runs all the racing that occurs on the bay. For their efforts, the three clubs were awarded the Arthur P. Davis - Beach Point Yacht Club Trophy, the oldest award of the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound (YRA-LIS). Established in 1955, the award recognizes yachting achievement on Long Island Sound. The Cow Bay Racing Association is still in existence today, with the addition of North Shore YC.

It is not surprising that Ed's successes in the business world and the sailing community carried over to his personal life. Ed and Eleanor, his devoted wife of 58 years, raised two wonderful children, Richard and Cathy, and were blessed with seven grandchildren.

Ed loved to tell stories - and he was writing a book about his "stories" to give to family and friends, until the week before he died. The text of the book is not about his sailing achievements - they are in The America's Cup and Me: Recollections of 63 years and 7 Campaigns. This book's focus is his work and personal life, with some hilarious anecdotes; others tender, and still others instructive. It was a work of love that he wanted to share with his family, especially the seven grandchildren that meant the world to him. He ends the book with, "Each night I count my blessings, remember and say my prayers in which I include family and many friends. Life will go on. I will have left my mark. God bless."