Despite his insistence on sailing a wooden boat, Davey was an innovator.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Lightnings raced on a triangle course consisting
of a weather leg followed by two comparatively tight reaches, with another
weather leg to the finish. The Lightning spinnaker is relatively large for the
size and shape of the boat, so it was not unusual for the boat to be
overpowered on the reaches, especially in heavy air. Davey went to Larry
Sobstad of Sobstad Sails, and together they designed and built a class-legal
minimum-dimension spinnaker that was especially effective on tight reaches.
The sail was affectionately nicknamed a “Tiger,” and it was not long before a
substantial percentage of the fleet included a Tiger in their sail inventory.
Dave Peterson was the personification of the best there is to be in a Lightning sailor.
Davey was awarded a Lifetime Membership in the International Lightning Class, having
served as Lightning Class Treasurer in 1967 and 1968, the same years he served as
Connecticut/Rhode Island District Commodore. He was highly competitive, highly skilled,
intimately conversant with the racing rules, and always willing to support the Class and
share his knowledge and experience with anyone who might seek his assistance. He
willingly volunteered his time to support the Class and sailing in general. The loss of
Davey is a true loss for all Lightning sailors, and it is therefore highly appropriate that
his memory should be honored by the David M. Peterson Lightning Boat Grant
established by his daughter Sandra More.