Addressing the opening meeting of the Yacht Club recently, an Olympic Gold Medal winner discussed the cut-throat competition in Naples, reminisced about his college racing, and issued a proposal on behalf of certain alumni who wish to encourage sailing at Harvard.

A manufacturer and importer of sailboats, George D. O'Day '45, captured honors for the United States in a 5.5, a 32-foot sloop with a 40-foot mast, whose 200-square-foot spinnaker his crew could set in 6 seconds and kill in two or three.

Often, said O'Day, the first ten boats would round a given mark within ten seconds of each other. He remarked that a Bahaman had told him it "was the first place he had ever been where you had to be an expert to lose." It was, he said, a cutthroat competition."

The same sort of pressure exists on the waters of the lower Charles, despite the fact that competitors sail in twelve foot dinghies and not $40,000 5.5's. Since, however, the Crimson skippers can sail only at few and specified hours, the racing is not what it could be.

It has been three years since the Corporation voted to withdraw financial support from sailing and left the disinherited yachtsmen to pay their way to regattas along the Atlantic Seaboard. They have been two years of apathy and one of renewing interest.

After the Corporation move, Crimson sailing seemed on the wane. A coterie of spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons racing MIT dinghies around MIT markers off the MIT Pavilion in the Charles Basin. This group comprised the varsity and Freshman sailing teams.

Although Crimson yachtsmen still race through the courtesy of MIT, a change of attitude has taken place. Those who supplied the catalyst were a group of Freshmen and Sophomores who wanted very much to sail and a group of alumni who wanted that undergraduates should want very much to sail.

The alumni, The Friends of Harvard , had been saying all along that if the Yacht Club could drum up enough interest (i.e., increased membership) they would be happy to supply the group with boats, floats, and a clubhouse. A of 100, preferably 150 names would suffice.

The club would like to race Inter-Club , 20 of which would cost approximately $15,000. Construction of floats let alone a clubhouse) and purchase of and (hopefully on the Basin) would involve another $15,000. It was a fair enough offer which O'Day and the friends made.

This season the varsity has had no outstanding success. In the Big Three championships two weeks ago, the Crimson came in third, while the Tigers successfully defended their crown. Both Yale and Princeton have their own facilities.

This weekend four skippers will represent the Crimson at the N.E.I.S.A. team racing preliminaries at the Coast Guard Academy in New London. They are Ford, Mike Lehman, Dave Parker, and John Kimbal.

There are now slightly more than 60 Crimson yachtsmen. Were they to have their own facilities, they could encourage pleasure sailing seven days a week, as well as racing. Members could bring as crews. Cliffies might be allowed to join.

As O'Day told the Yacht Club "You get the members. We'll give you the facilities." The answer to the dilemma of sailing at Harvard is as simple as that.