Eight Bells: Mike Dills

Mike Dills, 72, sailed over the Lake Erie horizon on March 16, 2022.

It was a Cleveland Race Week (CRW), many years ago, that did not go smoothly for the on-the-water race committee. While the always fun after racing party dulled the senses, something had to be done. Step in Mike Dills.

The outspoken, tell it like it is character, was on full display, and from that day forward, and throughout nearly the next decade, Mike picked up the reigns as Fleet Captain at Edgewater Yacht Club (EYC).

He instilled curmudgeonly discipline to the race program, setting in-motion a plan for EYC to sponsor US Sailing Race Management seminars, created mandatory race committee training days, and pushed all race officers to get certified for both club racing and CRW.

He served as PRO for Edgewater events, as well as regattas held by Cleveland Sailing Association member clubs. He freely gave of his time and didn’t ask for much in return. A thank you was all he needed… oh, and a Captain and Coke. Mike always bought the first round for his RC Team as soon as they hit the shore.

Mike was active in the Cleveland Sailing Association and Inter-Lake Yachting Association, serving as the CLE Deepwater Chair for many years and Jr. Sail Chair in 2012. He was a Trustee and Fleet Captain at Edgewater Yacht Club and laid the framework for the successful race program that Edgewater has boasted over the years. Mike mentored many and helped elevate race management from the Cleveland area to Put in Bay. There are many high-quality PROs that hail from EYC – a lasting legacy of what Mike started.

In 2013, Mike suffered a massive stroke and never fully recovered. The times he was able to be at EYC or get on a boat, he would light up and you could see the happiness and his love for sailing and just being at the club. He may even have twisted an arm or two for a Captain and Coke…which wasn’t hard to do considering what he had brought to Lake Erie sailing.

Mike made his final crossing peacefully at home, leaving his EYC family, life companion-Connie (Titgemeyer) Aguero, and Caitlin Aguero to carry on his legacy. Sail on Mike in calm breezes and following seas!