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Dear Members and Friends,
We deeply mourn the sudden and unexpected loss of Daniel Wyatt, also known as Skipper. In mid-2017, Skipper embarked on a journey of purchasing and refitting a second-hand Red Witch. After a months-long family project to strip down and repaint the old hull, and repair the fittings and rigging, a gleaming white "Escapade" (SP100) arrived at the Club a week after the opening of the 2017-2018 season. Dressed in matching uniform polo shirts, Skipper and his family started regularly racing Escapade in the Saturday keelboat competition. They also might have been seen cruising onboard "Runaround Sue" on a Sunday afternoon. The first few races of Skipper's racing career were cut short, due to teething problems with the rigging on Escapade.

The family quickly learned how to sail a Red Witch and were always happy and enthusiastic to come back for more. Across Skipper's racing career, Escapade won numerous penants, including the Patron's Trophy in the 2018/2019 season. This racing experience helped his sons Jakob, Samuel, and Isaac each develop as capable coxswains in their own right, and his daughter Jaime develop into very capable crew. The racing competition was always exciting and fair, with the team recounting the antics which had occurred on the water. As a Sailing Australia qualified instructor, and Leader in Sea Scouts, Skipper was an inspirational role model for everyone he worked with.

He spent several years coaching junior Sea Scouts into mature and capable keelboat sailors, and had a lasting influence on hundreds of young people and adults across the Scouting movement in Western Australia, several of whom themselves now sail their own vessels out of SoPYC. Skipper's enthusiasm for teaching people to sail was infectious. This motivated a small group of Scouts and parents to rebuild the Red Witch "Madge" (SP253) with Skipper's involvement, knowledge, and guidance. Skipper's support for that project has enabled that group of Scouts to compete on Madge as part of the Red Witch class on Saturdays. Skipper also actively supported the refurbishment of the SS22 "Shafto" (SP566) in late 2020, enabling her to return to active sailing this year at several recent Sea Scout events.

Skipper was never without a welcoming smile and an encouraging word. He was a loving and devoted husband to Sue, a committed and attentive father to Jakob, Samuel, Isaac, and Jaime, and an authentic friend to all who knew him.

RIP Skipper - we all miss you.

Kind Regards,
South of Perth Yacht Club