Changes:
All American Part XIV of a novel in many parts
by Roger Vaughan Previously: The year is 1988. Andy Thomas makes an ill-advised tactical call during a race in 50-foot sailboats that nearly causes a dangerous collision. His father, Mitchell (at the helm), is livid. Later, at the awards dinner, a drunken Andy delivers a public declaration that makes it virtually impossible for Mitchell Thomas, a well-known amateur sailor, not to mount a Round the World Race challenge. Mitchell is CEO of Moss Optical, a company inherited by his wife, Deedee Moss. He is thoroughly outraged by his son’s gaffe. At a board meeting held in Moss’s planetarium-board room, a proposal to sponsor the first American boat in the Race is presented, and accepted, much to Deedee’s delight. Colorful two-time America’s Cup winner Jan Sargent holds one of his high-intensity press conferences to announce he has been asked by Mitchell Thomas to skipper the Moss boat, All American. In his office at Moss, Andy is distraught, having learned his father
has made him part of All American’s crew. He agonizes over this to his friend Jeff Linn, a Moss opticist. After an unpleasant meeting with his father, who is adamant about Andy going on the Race, he drives to see his mother, Deedee, on the family’s Long Island estate, hoping she will intervene. Andy has a very pleasant sail with his mother ~ her favorite thing to do ~ but is distraught to find her conviction about him going on the race is set in concrete. When pressed, Ossie, the old Norwegian who has run the family’s waterfront for 40 years, says only that Andy’s mother has a very good reason for insisting he go on the race. Andy spends two weeks with the crew doing an Outward Bound course for training and bonding. As the boss’s son, he is subjected to hazing from this fraternity of professional sailors, and he hits back. He also proves he can sail. At home, seated at his powerful telescope, Andy reveals his proclivity for astronomy. His
125
