Sailor Spotlight: Fletcher Driscoll
Fletcher Driscoll started sailing on White Bear Lake at 10 years old. He crewed on an X boat skippered by Nicky Benz, a top sailor and sister to longtime WBYC sailor and member George Benz. At the age of 12, he bought a Y boat and competed against Alex (Ordway) Bjorklund for Championship honors. His love for boats started with his wooden Y boat he purchased for $600 and continues today as the owner of five A Scows.
His career path took him from manager of the White Bear Boat Yard in the 1960’s to earning a Ph.D. in Hydrogeology. While employed at the Johnson Screen Company, he wrote what became the “go to” book titled GROUNDWATER AND WELLS which is used in most college course in hydrogeology and has sold over 150,000 copies. Later, Fletcher opened his own consulting company, Driscoll and Associates, in which he used his expertise in hydrogeology for legal cases throughout the country.
In 2001, Fletcher bought his first A-boat. He wanted a boat big enough that his whole family of 18 could enjoy sailing together. Excitement for A-boat sailing spread quickly through WBYC sailors. By June of 2004, three A-boats began racing on White Bear after more than a 70 year hiatus. Currently, eleven A-boats race on White Bear Lake making the WBYC fleet the largest in the nation!
Fletcher’s numerous contributions to our sailing community have brought him national recognition. In 2012, Fletcher was the recipient of US Sailing’s highest honor, the John Gardiner, Jr. Award for distinguished service and exceptional leadership in one design sailing and class organization. In 2015, he received the Inland Lake Yachting Association’s Hero Award.
In our local community, Fletcher was named 2014 Volunteer of the Year by the City of White Bear Lake. Fletcher continues to be instrumental in the design and content of the Community Room at BoatWorks Commons which is a tribute to all the boat builders who started on the shores of White Bear, and to the history of sailing on White Bear Lake. The community room is located on the site of the former Johnson Boat Works.
Fletcher and his wife, Beverley, are sailing members at the WBYC. You can see them on their dock on Monday nights helping over 50 sailors prepare for the evening races. If you see Fletcher around the club, stop and say hello. He always has a fun sailing story to share or he might assist you on getting a ride on a A-boat.