R - E - S - P - E - C- T

By Mr. X

Why is there so much interest in such a marginal sailor as Philippe Kahn? It goes beyond envy. No mater how you slice him, no mater how you dice him. You have got to RESPECT a guy that has so much passion for sailboat racing. This is a guy who has the means to buy huge boats, pay for the best crew and could easily be basking in his mega yacht wins. The sailing press would love him for it. Surprising to some, that is clearly not what he is interested in. He sincerely wants to become a better sailor. Fortunately he has surrounded himself with the right people. Guys like Morgan Larson, Mark Reynolds and Dave Ullman could have made ten times the money from this guy if they had told him that the way to become a better sailor is to buy more big huge boats and lots of sails. Clearly his mentors did not steer him down easy street. They pointed him into head on traffic. Philipe's progression into smaller more competitive boats says volumes about the honesty of his coaches and the size of his tentacles. A lesser man would have turned tail and run after setting foot in a Finn for the first time in 20 knots.

His mentors and coaches seem to have made one mistake and it looks as if it is being quickly corrected. They got him into the Melges 24 class. It was an honest mistake. The Melges 24 billed itself as an elite high end racing class. Surely they would not bust on a guy for trying too hard, practicing too much, spending too much. If he and his son had gone into the Flying Scott class and done this you may have expected an uproar, but not in any "grand prix" class (you know how I love that term).

It's no wonder Shark is looking to the 49er and Philippe is starting to sail the Star. No one is going to give you shit for trying too hard in these classes. On the contrary pouring your heart and 100% of your energy into your passion for sailing is what the Star and 49er are all about.

You gotta RESPECT that. Philippe is fighting against the clock but Shark could be the next Jonathan McKee.

Good luck boys! Kick some ass!