Jerry Wood, as he was known around Annapolis, created a unique sailing school in 1959 and later founded the first in-the-water boat show in 1970 on City Dock.  The United States Sailboat Show grew rapidly into one of the most important showcases for sailboats in the world.  Three years later he added a powerboat edition to the boat show on a separate but adjoining week.  He created the boat show with his sailing school partner Peter J. Carroll, but bought out Mr. Carroll’s share in 1976.

Wood learned to sail on the waters of Long Island Sound.  He served in the U.S. Army as a photographic technician in the Pacific Theater during World War II.  Following the war, he graduated from the University of Virginia.  He and his wife, Kathryn Graf, moved to Annapolis “to be nearer to boats.”  He and his father sailed a plywood catamaran. Wood owned Richwood Toys, dedicated to manufacturing children’s toys in the early 1950s.   Friends asked to go sailing on the strange-looking craft.

Wood decided to test the waters of a potential business by giving sailing lessons.  In 1959, he purchased an advertisement in the Washington Post which promoted the rental of his boat for day sailing.  Wood told the Post twenty-five years later about the result of the ad, “It was an instant hit, and the sailing school was an immediate outgrowth.  People wanted to rent, but didn’t know how to sail.”  Woods commissioned the world-renowned naval architecture firm, Sparkman & Stephens, to design a small sailboat for training.  S & S created a 24-foot sloop that Wood called a “Rainbow.”  Wood subsequently built a fleet of those boats for the sailing school, also available for sale to the public.  The U.S. Naval Academy acquired a fleet of thirty Rainbows for Midshipmen training.  At the time, the Navy was concerned that officers were losing their connection to the sea and should be required to learn to sail.  This initiative was the result of a committee headed by DeCoursey Fales that advised the Superintendent on sail training.  The Annapolis Sailing School’s fleet of Rainbows are still being used today.

Woods and Peter Carroll thought about creating a boat show to sell their Rainbows and allow other dealers to display their craft.  In 1970, the partners arranged with the City of Annapolis to host a Boat Show on City Dock.  To their amazement, 15,000 people attended the first in-the-water boat show that October.  Annapolis proved to be a compelling venue.  Up until that time, boat shows were held in large conventional halls during winter months.

Jerry Woods was an avid photographer and raised collies as a hobby.  Jerry and his wife Kathryn donated photographic equipment to regional schools.  The couple created the Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation, providing scholarships and grants for college students as well as one-time grants to organizations, colleges and universities with programs consistent with the foundation’s mission.

~ Gary Jobson