Eight Bells: Terry Arndt

Distinguished yachtsman Terry Arndt, 82, crossed the bar peacefully at home on Tuesday, August 12.

Terry was known throughout the USA East Coast racing community as a true gentleman—steady on the helm, gracious in both victory and defeat, and unfailingly generous and loyal to his crew. His Resolute campaigns spanned decades, from Newport to Bermuda, Block Island Race Week, and countless overnight contests on Long Island Sound.

Born in Upstate New York, Terry was a graduate of Siena College and St. Louis University. He served seven years as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, including 10 combat operations in Vietnam.

Terry and his wife, Carol, moved to Larchmont, NY in 1986, when his professional responsibilities with American Express brought him to New York City. It was during this time that Terry began nearly four decades of competitive racing along the East Coast, building a loyal and longtime cadre of crew aboard Resolute.

Over the next 20 years, the Resolute program campaigned in three Newport to Bermuda Races, 11 Vineyard Races, 11 Block Island Race Weeks, numerous AYC Spring and Fall Series, and dozens of YRA Long Island Sound races.

In every endeavor—at sea, in business, and in life—he listened, communicated, and led with integrity and passion. His enthusiasm was legendary—none more memorable than his call to “shoot the line!” at the finish of the 2004 Bermuda Race, where Resolute placed second in class.

In the early 2000s, after 20 years with American Express, Terry relocated to St. Louis, where he assumed a new leadership role as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer at Express Scripts. Resolute then bore a St. Louis hailing port, and the program shifted toward long-distance racing.

While visiting crew and sailing friends in Newport during the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race stopover, Terry began considering a move to Narragansett Bay. He was still navigating the profound grief of Carol’s death in April 2018 and the sudden passing of his son, Peter, in March 2017.

Deciding a new chapter was needed, Terry acquired an IMX 41—Resolute IV—which reignited the program in Newport. Over the next five years, she raced in several Vineyard Races, the 2022 Bermuda Race, and the 2023 Block Island Race Week.

Terry was especially generous in providing opportunities for young sailors to experience big-boat racing. In Larchmont, he had a strong connection with sailors from Hobart and William Smith College, and later in Newport with the University of Rhode Island.

He was a member of the Larchmont Yacht Club, Storm Trysail Club, and the Buzzards Society.