Ben popped into my head this evening for no apparent reason and I googled him only to learn of his passing. I met Ben and Mike at the Santa Cruz YC when they owned Seldom Seen, their Moore 24. I was living at the top of 17 on Loma Prieta. We became fast friends and I sailed with them all summer in the late 70's while waiting to hear from a college back east. He was a GEM.I'm so very sorry.