Bob Davis was in his early 60s when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The radiation treatments were so brutal he lost 80 pounds in a short period and then became heavy with fatigue. He was spending a lot of time on his sofa at home in Niantic, Connecticut, while his 28-foot O’Day sailboat sat on the hard for the season, not a lick of salt on her hull. That’s when a friend called and asked Davis to come out for an afternoon aboard his 46-foot Alden yawl.
“It was a perfect day with a perfect breeze. I was at the helm and the boat was right on point,” said Davis. “I was once again caught up in the art and enjoyment of sailing. I thought, ‘This is what life is all about.’”
That experience reinvigorated Davis’ love for the water and in part motivated him to create Sails Up 4 Cancer (SU4C), a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to people going through the trauma and treatment of cancer. That was back in 2011. Today, Davis is 75 and still at the helm of the charity he founded with the help of volunteers who love the water and have all been touched by cancer in some way. SU4C is a small, regional organization, but it’s touched many families and made the process of navigating a cancer diagnosis just a little easier. For his efforts, Davis was recently awarded a certificate of recognition from the state of Connecticut.
I enjoyed talking with Davis by phone, just a week after he was awarded his citation. He told me about some of the ways SU4C generates funds for cancer patients. His team organizes everything from weekend regattas to black-tie galas; some of the proceeds go to local hospitals; some to the Spinnaker Fund, which was set up for cancer patients struggling to pay bills or buy groceries and medicine. “A spinnaker,” he said, “is a sail made to travel in the same direction as the wind. When the wind’s behind your back, you need all the sails out or you’re going nowhere. The Spinnaker Fund’s mantra is ‘We have your back.’”
Davis took on the job as founder of SU4C with some solid nonprofit experience in his wake. Back in 2004, Davis learned he had chronic lymphocytic leukemia—that was his first cancer diagnosis. He was floored, but when his oncologist learned he was an avid sailor, she encouraged him to get involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which at the time was behind The Leukemia Cup Regatta, a series of boating events that raised money to cure blood cancers. “I got involved immediately,” said Davis. “That’s just who I am.”
His work on the Leukemia Cup taught him some of the basics and intricacies of fundraising. It also put him in touch with sailing legend Gary Jobson, who was chairman of the Leukemia Cup. During his tenure, Jobson helped turn the event into a fundraising freight train that earned more than $62 million for cancer research. A sailing success like that can mean more than an America’s Cup win, depending on who you talk to. It definitely hits home for me, as my daughter battled leukemia in 2021.
“I think it’s important to give back based on your good fortune,” says Davis. “Gratitude is critical. And I believe the work and passion of sailors can be vital in every community.”
Jeanne Craig, [email protected]
This article was originally published in the April 2024 issue.
