> Racing > One-Design > One-Design Awards > One-Design Award Winners > 1999 Rich Ogrentz, National One Design Class, Highland, IN
1999 Rich Ogrentz, National One Design Class, Highland, IN
One-Design Leadership Award
Ken Signorello photo |
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| US SAILING President Jim Muldoon presents the Leadership Award to Rich Ogrentz at Board meeting |
The One Design Leadership Award recognizes individual initiative, enthusiasm, organizing ability and leadership in creating the one-design fleet building program of the year. The 1999 winner is Rich Ogrentz from Highland, Indiana.
Ogrentz has been with the National One-Design Racing Association for 15 years and has been the class workhorse from Day One. His boundless enthusiasm, unwavering loyalty and rock-sold support for the National One-Design are immeasurable.
During 1999 alone, Ogrentz played a fundamental role in having the class participate in its first boat show in over 20 years, produced the largest fleet turnout at the 1999 World's regatta, helped to grow his own fleet, and orchestrated one of the seasons most popular regattas.
"His success does not hail from the simple fact of not taking 'no' for an answer," said Valerie McHugh in her nomination. "He will find you a solution to your problem and get you to the regatta. If you can't make it because your car is broken, he'll loan you one of his spare cars. If your boat is not 'regatta' ready, he'll be inside your cockpit fully loaded with any and all spare part you could wish for." She added that "Rich Ogrentz is the Martha Stewart of regatta hosting."