After 58 Years, a Shot at Olympic Gold

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Can you give us a taste of what one might find on board a Trinity Yacht?

Dane: They are floating castles. Typically, owners have 12 to 15 people on-board with a crew of 10 to 24. The yachts have huge bedrooms, full spas that produce their own electricity, marble tubs, satellite communications, car garages, televisions hidden in the walls, helicopter pads, hot tubs…. They're palaces that can go anywhere in the world.

Do you own one yourself?

Dane: I used to have a 115-foot Trinity Yacht up until two years ago, when I started extensive training for the Olympics again. I knew I wasn't going to have any time to use it, so I sold it. Here's the incredible thing about Trinity Yachts: every owner has sold their boat for more than we got paid. We've had some clients wait three years and as soon as their boat is ready for delivery, someone offers them so much money for it that they sell it and go to the back of the line. It becomes a profitable venture for them.

Before we get into the Olympics, can you give a sense of how things are in the Gulf Coast region?

Dane: Well, we kind of glide under the radar, which is fine by us. It took us six months to get electricity and year to get phones in New Orleans, but we have a small portion of our operations up and running again. We basically moved our company lock, stock, and barrel to Gulfport. My sailing partner is also my son-in-law, Austin Perry. After Katrina, he headed up acquiring and installing the 100 mobile homes we needed to keep the company going. It's been three years since the storm now and there is still a problem with affordable housing for blue-collar workers near both facilities, but we came through it and things have fallen into place.

Tell us about your Olympic event.

Dane: We are sailing in the two-person Star class races in a 20-foot keelboat. It's 10 races over five days. The top 10 teams have one more race that count double. Nine out of a possible 11 rounds count in the end. You sail a bunch of rounds, and like in golf, lowest point total wins.

This is probably going to sound like a stupid question, but how much is wind a factor?

Dane: Wind is a huge factor, but it's not the only factor. Conditions at that time in Qingdao usually call for light winds and strong current, so it's a challenging venue. On top of that, there's all that algae, but it looks like they may have got that problem licked. They way I explain it is that it's the same wind, current, and algae for everyone, so we just have to do a better job.

What are your strengths?

Dane: Well, sailing is one sport where experience counts. There's a lot physics involved in a sail catching wind to propel a boat forward, so having a Ph.D. in engineering helps. Experience is also key in understanding the conditions, looking at the clouds and knowing where the winds are going to come from, and in the tactics. How do you want to position yourself in comparison to your competitors. Austin is 30, so he's young and athletic. Together, we make a formidable team.

If Austin screws up, does he still get to come to Thanksgiving?

Dane: [Laughs] Of course, because it's a team effort. We've know what we're doing thanks to a ton of practice, but someone can always accidentally fumble at the goal line. The beauty of sailing is that we've got 11 races and we don't have to win 'em all. At this level of competition, nobody will. I'd say we have a good chance to medal.

Do you know how much you've spent in pursuit of your Olympic dream?

Dane: I know exactly how much down to the penny. We've got training boats in Florida, Europe and China. I've funded 90 percent of our campaign in the last three years out of pocket. It's embarrassing…. Let's just say it's a considerable amount.

Does training for the Olympics get in the way of being president and CEO of a successful company?

Dane: I'm involved in the conceptual phase of the yachts, but mostly it's overseeing contracts and the sales side of things so I can work from anywhere. I'm a workaholic, so when I was in China training, I was up at 4 a.m. answering e-mails, but the Olympics has been an unfulfilled dream of mine for 40 years. I came in second in the 1968 trials, but in sailing, only the number one gets to go. My wife Leslie was fully supportive when I decided to give it a go one more time. Last October was my seventh try, and at my age, it would've been my last one. My wife and all seven of my children will be in Beijing.

It's an amazing time in your life right now, has it even begun to sink in?

Dane: I felt it for the first time last week when we got our equipment, outfits, and credentials. Wow, I'm really on the Olympic team.

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