Rear Commodore Bill Conerly

Bill Conerly began sailing in 1960, crewing on the family Lido 14 in Alamitos Bay, California. He also crewed on Snipes, Enterprises, Dragons and Luders 16s. He daysailed Sunfish and a San Juan 21 in the Gulf of Mexico during his college years, then took a six year hiatus. He returned to sailing in San Francisco, crewing on a CF-37 in the IOR fleet, his brother's Moore 24, and a wide miscellany of keel boats. He bought his first boat, a Columbia 26, which he cruised and raced. Bill moved to Portland in 1984, and shortly thereafter he sold the keelboat and bought his first Thistle. He has been a regular in the Thistle Fleet since then, racing almost every week plus traveling to Thistle regattas. He has been Thistle Fleet Captain and District Governor. Both of his sons, Peter and Tom, have crewed for him in the Thistle. (Notable quote: "I thought Daddy never used bad language, until I crewed for him.") He also sails a Laser on occasion. Bill has bareboat chartered with his wife Christina in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and the San Juan Islands. In his spare time, Bill is an economist with Conerly Consulting LLC.