← WA360 Home ← 2025 WA360 Teams
Crew: George McCargar, Paul Brown, Keith Councell, Glenn VanOtteren, and Erik Kennedy
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI
Vessel: Dash 34
Class: The Wind Division
Get to know Team Mistakes Were Made
First thing first. Why race in WA360?
We are planning to do the R2AK in 2026, so this is a great opportunity to test gear, ourselves, and the boat.
What’s your connection to these waters?
From our fearless leader: My direct connection is limited but strong. After I went out to the start of the 2024 R2AK, I was hooked by the beauty of the waters and surrounding lands and the spirit of the event. My direct connection is my wife spent many years in the PNW working for King Broadcasting as a photo journalist. When I was there last Spring I kept texting her telling her how cool and beautiful different spots were, and she replied, “Yes, I know.”
Superpowers. Each crew member gets one. What are they and why?
Power to control the weather, like Storm. (What could be better on a sailboat race than controlling the weather.) Organization. (Without it, things go sideways.) A quiet, unassuming person who jumps in and makes a boat go fast. (Going fast is good. We have that guy.)Ability to sleep anywhere. (Sleep is important.) Knowing when to apply bandages.(Bleeding is not good.) Hike long distances with a newborn. (Hiking with a newborn and the WA360 share things in common.)
Defend your vessel choice for WA360. What makes it so cool and worthy?
We will be sailing a Dash 34, “Fighting Trousers.” We chose the boat because of its performance capabilities and light weight. It is a proven contender, having finished the R2AK in 2023 and 2022.
What are your adventure qualifications for WA360? What makes you (y’all) cool and capable?
Our sailing experience/adventures are impressive: 40+ Chicago Mackinac Races; Chicago-Pt Huron SuperMacs; Newport-Bermuda Races; SORC; Many other national & international regattas, delivered Kauai to San Francisco, on Great Lakes, Bermuda-Newport RI and many more; Boat building and refurbishment of too many boats to mention; Climbing mountains (Kilimanjaro, among others.)
What is going to break?
The pedal drive, because history always repeats itself, and everyone’s pedal drive breaks.