The Osbornes and Fleetwings

One notable sailing family in the 1940s and 1950s was the Osborne family. On August 6, 1950, just prior to the opening of the first annual Seafair, the Seattle Times described Al Osborne as the "Father" of the Laurelhurst Fleet. At that time, the Fleet included 15 Flatties, racing every Thursday and Sunday from May to September.

• Ken Kraft has fond memories of Al Osborne as a mentor.

West Coast racing in the 1950s

Ken Kraft and others from Laurelhurst drove to San Luis Obispo in 1951 for the Flattie World Championship Regatta. As the Seattle Times put it on August 19, 1951, "...the yachters raced their boats in all kinds of wind and water conditions..."

• For most of the Fleet, this series was an initiation to open ocean racing.
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• The young men turned the heads of the older, more experienced competition.
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Proficient Kraft

Ken Kraft continued to compete (and win) after his wife, Marilyn, joined him as crew. The Krafts sailed together in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. They competed as a team in San Diego and sailed with their two girls in both Washington and California.

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• Sailing on Lake Washington prepared Karla Kraft for San Diego.

Friendly competition

• Jack Carver competed for the first time on the day he launched his boat.
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• Jack's dedication paid off - he and Ken Walsh won a seasonal trophy in 1977.

Sport and sportsmanship

• People in the Fleet watched out for one another on the water.

The Fleet built camaraderie among its members at home and away by racing as a team.

• The Fleet raced as a team against other fleet teams in the 1950s.
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• Racing on the Columbia River is not for those without patience.

Excitement on Lake Washington

An impressive characteristic of the Fleet's top competitors has been their capacity for finding adventure close to home.

• Sand Point Naval Air Station provided excitement before closing in the 1950s.
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• Don't we all wish we could have planed in a Flattie before the Evergreen Point Bridge was built!