I just pulled into Israel, checked my email and learned my buddy Rudy Thompson had died.
It knocked me back.
Rudy seemed eternal—not only eternally alive but eternally youthful in the best, truest sense of the word.
What originally attracted me to Rudy was his natural ability as a sailor. He not only was a superb racer, he made it look simple, easy, and natural. Rudy was always relaxed, ashore and afloat. I watched him win and lose many times—but I never saw him lose his sense of humor or his boyish sense of fun.
When I first started club racing in the VI, Rudy was my hero. The closer I followed Rudy on the race course, the more I won. I admired him so much I made no effort to hide it. Just before a race in St. Croix or St. Thomas, I’d say, “If Rudy tacks, we tack. If Rudy has a beer, we’ll have a beer. If Rudy takes a leak…”
Besides being a fine racer at the STYC, Rudy was also a cruising sailor who was passionate about boats. He had as many live-aboard friends as racers. Sure, he could wax poetic about Cunningham adjustment—but he could also talk prop pitch, baggy-wrinkle, and sheet-to-tiller steering.
In fact, Rudy could talk about anything—at the drop of a hat. Thus I had him on my WVWI Radio One Marine Report dozens of times over the 17 years it was on—and each show he guest-starred in was great—entertaining, thought-provoking, insightful.
Every time I met Rudy, he taught me something new. He was lit up on life. And he loved to experiment. Why, once he came back from a weekend with his wife on Jost Van Dyke… totally amazed at the difficulties of making love in a hammock without having a toe on the ground.
Rudy did all the ‘hot races’ with all the ‘hot USVI sailors’ but he also often did the mom-and-pop cruising ones as well. When he wasn’t winning on the race course, he was drinking a cold beer on Cold Beer or having a Rhum Squall in the latter’s cockpit.
A Hysterical … er, I mean, Historical Perspective on USVI & BVI Marine Industries
He was a superb storyteller. I was particularly enthralled with his tales of sailing (another of my heros) John Steinbeck around the Lesser Antilles ‘…back in the day.’
Of course, Rudy was crazy. I was recently having dinner in Phuket, Thailand, with Tere Batham of Sea Quest—and she had me rolling on the cockpit sole with tales of Rudy and her drunk during St. Thomas Carnival—jumping crazily over the powerlines from their rolling trampoline.
Rudy moved gracefully because he was a gymnast—but he moved gracefully through life as well. The STYC had many groups and clichés, but everyone was Rudy’s friend.
…his sincere friend.
…just because he was Rudy and always fun to be around.
I’ve known a lot of fine sailors and wonderful seaman in my 50 years of living aboard and offshore sailing—but none as fine nor as fun as Rudy. I bet he’s up there in Fiddler’s Green right now, making ’em laugh about how he took a chainsaw to that dog-of-a-Pearson at the IBY and turned her into one of the winningest race boats in the Caribbean.
Friends,
I’m saddened to hear of Rudy’s passing. I arrived in S.T. 5/2/81 as part of the crew opening the “Chart House” rest. @ the Villa Olga. I was a Hobie Cat sailor from St. Augustine, Fl. & a bartender at the local C.H..
The manager there was Rick Bockelman (S.D., Cal) who was chosen to manage the new S.T. C.H. & he accepted my offer to travel down to open the bar. I planned to be on island 3 mos. & stayed 3 yrs.
becoming the asst. mgr. (S.T.) & eventually mgr. of the Stx. C. H.( the last two yrs.)
Funny thing, the S.T. C.H. was to open about a year earlier but it burned very close to completion. Some said it was from old rags used in floor finishing, others called it arson. I remember 2 girls from St. Aug. ( then the only C.H. in Fl. ) were going down to work there, ( How cool was this I thought, maybe one day….) when news of the fire came. They were bummed & never made the trip. Sometime later Rick B. became our new manager, & serendipity landed us in S.T. . The opening was not until mid July,
“Bastille Day” in Frenchtown, so we all helped w/ construction to get by. ( it took WAPA 3 days to set a power pole) but about the end of may, Rick ( he had met Rudy who had his office near the Villa O.)
says ” you want to go sailing”? (Stx. Mem. Day reg.) Then I’m on the “Flyer” w/ Rudy. what a time! 1st going down, 2nd in Stx. ( Jboat, Blue Bayou was 1st, but we had much more fun) 2nd back to S.T. I took the tiller on the way back, cool! Plenty viitamin H (Heinekin gls. cans)
Showering @ the Stx. Y.C. & asked what boat I was on, I learned of Rudy’s “legend status” ( wow, do you know who he is?). A time never to forget. What a happy man, Who grinned like Huck finn. So I was a “Fun Hog” (Rudy’s prev Boat I believe) for a few days. We flew a spinnaker w/ a giant pink pig As we sailed into the Stx. harbor, Rudy had speakers put topside, & cranked up bagpipe music “Your saving Grace”. He knew how to make an entrance!
I’m planning a return trip to the V.I. (33yrs.) Rudy was one of the 1st to come to mind, So I Googled
him & I write this w/ watery eyes after finding this post. Not really gone & certainly not forgotten! I have some great photos which i’m going to look for, so ….
Steve Banta ,Saint Augustine, 4/26/2017
Allso sailed on the “Lite Brigade” w/ Rudy. Same boat, but he had to change the name because
“Flyer” was considered advertising I believe. The hull # on that Pearson Flyer was 0000003 !