Eight Bells: Sharon Mooney

Sharon Mooney died peacefully in Portsmouth, RI on July 24 at the age of 56 years.

Sharon grew up sailing in her native Canada, sailing Laser’s (of course!) and Fireball’s. Her connection with the America’s Cup began as team meteorologist for the Canada I team for the 1983 America’s Cup in Newport. She followed that experience by joining a Swan 651 for a number of transatlantic crossings and extensive sailing in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. She returned to the America’s Cup in 1987 with the New Zealand America’s Cup Challenge in Fremantle, Australia (KZ-7), and then for the NZ Big Boat challenge versus the Cat in San Diego in 1988.

Thereafter, she settled in Newport where she could variously be found cycling, swimming, paddle boarding, skiing, frostbiting in her Laser, and competing on Wednesday nights with Fleet 9 of the local Shields fleet.

Sharon was great shipmate who will be missed by her teammates and the legion of devoted friends she made all over the world. – Peter Wilson