Tim came to USNA with sailing experience, but no racing background. A walk-on athlete, he was
paired as crew with some of the senior dinghy sailors where he quickly demonstrated his
athleticism and ability to learn the tactics of sailboat racing. By his 2/c year, he was the skipper
of a winning dinghy team and helped NAVY Sailing earn its first Intercollegiate National
Championship, The Fowle Trophy. In 1978, he led NAVY to their second Fowle Trophy and was
honored as an All-American Sailor. Because of Tim’s superior tactical abilities, the coaching staff
assigned him temporarily to the larger race boats to compete in an intercollegiate event – the
Kennedy Cup. The regular crew, augmented by Tim, went on to win this prestigious regatta.
Tim’s name can be found on four of the USNA perpetual trophies on display at the Robert
Crown Sailing Center.
Navy Sailing is a large organization with many boats. During his four years, Tim was an
enthusiastic force behind rebranding the team’s small-boat sailors as the Naval Academy
Dinghy Sailors (NADS). Tim was instrumental in helping to integrate the first female
midshipmen into NAVY Sailing. This inspired an energy and cohesiveness that would ultimately
earn an unprecedented seven consecutive Fowle Trophies. To this day, sailing team members
from the past four decades gather socially for skiing and bicycling trips, as well as sailboat
racing at the Naval Academy. It is inspiring to see classes from 1976 to 2021 interact.
After graduation, Tim stayed at USNA to coach yet another national championship before
joining the U.S. Navy’s oceanographic community. He graduated with distinction from the Naval
Postgraduate School in 1986 with a master’s degree in Meteorology and Oceanography and an
advanced international certificate in Hydrographic Science. His 30 years of sea and shore tours
culminated in earning a Bronze Star during the Iraq war, promotion to Rear Admiral (lower
half), and designation as Commanding Officer, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography
Command (CNMOC).
Throughout the years, Tim continued his active involvement with sailing, whether volunteer
coaching or competing for the U.S. Navy. He earned a Gold Medal at the 1983 “Sea Week” CISM
World Military Championships and a Silver Medal at the 1986 CISM World Military Sailing
Championships. He was the Pacific Fleet Shiphandler of the Year in 1989. After retirement, he
served as the 4th President of the Sea Education Association (SEA) from 2012 to 2013 and on
the USNA Sailing Foundation’s Fales Committee from 2012 to 2021. Currently, Tim is involved
with the Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) program.
To his teammates, over multiple years, “Goose” truly is a legend.