David was eleven years old when he fell in love with sailing. He was at Camp Chimney Rock (the set for the film Dirty Dancing) on Lake Lure in North Carolina. Living in the south near the water, he was captivated by the experience of being propelled simply by the wind. Over 57,000 miles as Skipper and Helmsman in offshore and coastal sailing. He has also crewed in races held in Puerto Rico, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and the west coast of Florida. He currently lives in South Tampa, Florida and is a member of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. David and Chip Merlin have been friends for many years, and as graduates of the University of Florida, they bonded over their love of the Gators and of sailboat racing. For the 2017 Race from St Petersburg, Florida to Habana Cuba, David invited Chip to race with him on Patience. David also invited another good friend, Brian Malone, to join his team. The Patience team won their class in Habana and finished 3rd overall with corrected time.