Larry Suter's Profile

LARRY SUTER PROFILE

Larry Suter was born in New Jersey and summered with his family at the end of Long Island, NY where he learned to sail by the time he was four.

Larry won his first regatta, the Southold YC Labor Day Regatta, at nine years old in the Penguin Class, with his father crewing. When he was ten he was chosen to represent his yacht club at the Eastern Long Island Junior Championships (15 years old and under) and finished 2nd.

Larry's father, realizing that to grow in sailing, his children needed to learn in a boat with a jib and spinnaker, purchased a Blue Jay when Larry was 13, and that year Larry, with his 11 year old brother Don crewing, finished 2nd in the summer long Old Cove Yacht Club Blue Jay Season Series, and 1st the next year.

Understanding that he would become a more rounded sailor by sailing in different types of boats, Larry won the Eastern Long Island Championships in Sailfish, Sunfish, and Comet Class boats over the next few years.

Larry's father told him that he would have to travel to get more competition, so Larry drove his Comet to Ithaca and finished 2nd in the Comet International Championship, one point out of 1st.

After graduating from St. Michael's College with a BA in Business, and three letters from the Ski Team (there was no sailing team), the next challenge was cruising class boats. After a number of races up and down Long Island Sound sailing with Bill Baxter, Jack Sutphen, and Arthur Wulshleger, Larry was asked to sail on the 12 Meter Intrepid.

Larry spent his 22nd summer as starboard tailer on Intrepid while she defended the America's Cup over the Australian 12 Meter Gretel II off Newport Rhode Island.

During a break in the campaign for the America's Cup, Larry showed his enjoyment and skill at teaching sailing by coaching his brother Don's college, Steven's Institute of Technology, to the College Nationals over such teams as Navy and Kings Point.

While in college Larry had added two goals to his life, to defend the America's Cup and to win a Gold Medal in the Olympics. One goal had been accomplished and the other was about to start.

After the America's Cup Larry worked for a sailmaker, cutting sails and testing designs to better understand setting up sails. He bought a 470 because it was the most exciting boat he had sailed, and then raced transatlantic to Spain, where he taught English for a year, while sailing in various regattas in Europe. During this time the 470 was voted into the Olympics.

Larry returned to the US and embarked on an Olympic Campaign in the 470 Class which resulted in a 12th place finish in the Olympic Trials of the forty two 470's which qualified to race.

Starting a wholesale lobster business was next. Larry then added a fish market and finally a seafood restaurant, while sailing in the winter off season yielded a 470 North American Championship. Most of his time was focused on the businesses but the dream was still there.

In 1995, after losing the 470 Pan American Games Trials, Morgan Reeser asked Larry to coach him in his quest for a Gold Medal in the 1996 Olympic Games. Morgan and his crew, Kevin Burnham were able to win 10 of the 13 races they sailed in the 1996 US Olympic Trials and finished 8th in the Olympic Games.

During the training sessions for the Games Larry had also coached their training partners, Mike Sturman and Jon Farrar.

In 1997 Larry decided to sail a 470 in the US Sailing Team Qualifiers and finished ranked 2nd on the US Sailing Team.

In the fall of 1997, Jon Farrar and Larry decided that they should train together and see how well they could do. The answer came when they won the 1998 Miami Olympic Classes Regatta and had 4 Olympic Medalists and a 470 World Champion behind them.

Larry has found that combining Coaching with Racing has helped his Coaching and his clients Sailing.

Sailing resume


Last Updated 12/4/05 by z