Bangor’s Kevin Mahaney has lived his dreams.
He won a silver medal in the soling class at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and, last year, he skippered Young America during the prestigious America’s Cup series.
Dennis Conner and his Stars & Stripes beat Young America and Mighty Mary in a controversial run-off to represent the U.S. in the final series against New Zealand’s Black Magic. Conner then elected to sail the faster Young America yacht in that final series only to get swept by Black Magic 5-0.
Mahaney had skippered Young America to the best overall record in the U.S. trials, 24-12.
Mahaney said he won’t be sailing in this summer’s Olympics and probably won’t be sailing in the next America’s Cup series in 1999-2000 in Auckland, New Zealand.
“Right now, I’m running the Erin Company and being a dad to three kids,” said Mahaney, who is the president and CEO of the company. “I’ve got a chance to repay debts to a lot of people who supported me. I’ve accomplished my goals and now I’m going to sit back and help other people achieve their goals, their dreams.”
Mahaney is divorced and has joint custody of his three sons: Christopher, 7; Chandler, 5; and Nicholas, 2.
“You can’t be a world-class sailor and a world-class dad,” said Mahaney, who will turn 34 later this month. “Being a dad is the greatest thing in the world.”
Mahaney does intend to stay involved in the sport on a much lesser scale.
He will help coach an Olympic-hopeful soling team featuring Ed Baird, his Olympic coach in ’92, and Ron Rosenberg, who was a member of Mahaney’s PACT 95 team.
“Ed has gone from coaching to sailing and I’ve gone from sailing to helping out as a coach,” said Mahaney, who splits his time between Bangor and Massachusetts, where his sons live.
He said he has been asked by PACT 95 president John Marshall of Addison to return and be a part of the PACT 2000 syndicate. Marshall is the PACT 2000 president, also.
Marshall has said PACT will attempt to raise at least $30 million for the next America’s Cup and is in hopes of building two boats.
“My time is so limited. But I’ll be a resource available to John and the rest of the team,” said Mahaney. “I’ll help them with their educational program and in a number of different areas. I can help them evaluate boat performance and managerial skills and I can help them develop technological tools.
“I’d like to do what I can to help them win the Cup back,” added Mahaney, who hasn’t completely ruled out sailing in the next America’s Cup.
“Never say never. There may be a chance I may sail with them again but not as a full-time skipper,” he said.
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