Wright Gres grew up boating in Hillsborough Bay, Tampa Bay, and the Florida Gulf Coast area. Outboard powered boats, cruising boats, and sailboats of any kind -- if a refrigerator box would float and carry a sail, he sailed it -- from one-designs like Windmills, Lightnings, 110’s, to Hobie Cats.
He served as commodore of the Tampa and the Orlando Hobie Fleets as well as of the Florida statewide organization (Division 8). He campaigned various Hobies for over 18 years, participating in several Nationals.
He raced cruising class boats in FORA, (Florida Ocean Racing Association), MORC (Midget Ocean Racing Club), other less formal events, and raced Windsurfers in that sport’s early days.
Helping to finance college expenses, he worked as deckhand/steward on a large luxury power yacht.
After college, he worked in a number of coat and tie jobs, including, at one time or another, handling almost all facets of the advertising agency business, working in corporate advertising, and advertising & promotions manager for Tampa’s convention facility.
While still working a 9 to 5, he was a full-time, volunteer crewmember assisting in sail training on the 137-foot (l.o.a.) brig Unicorn while it was based in Tampa.
During the 1980’s he had the opportunity to sail six months on a stays’l schooner, making a transatlantic and spending several months sailing the Mediterranean. This trip, along with his Walter Mitty fantasy life, became the basis for his first novel, Macedonia Passage. He spent several years delivering yachts, primarily sail, up and down the east coast and around the Caribbean. In between he’s worked in the film production industry, mostly in commercials, and has taught boating, sailing and marlinspike seamanship.
He was Marine Coordinator in the Robert Altman film, The Gingerbread Man.
These days the author lives with his wife and way too many dogs on a bluff above the Altamaha River in southeast Georgia. He works as a tugboat captain to finance his various habits.
Wright Gres was recently interviewed by Vidalia attorney, Wilson R. Smith, for the radio program "What Is Goin' On?" broadcast on WLYU, 100.9 FM, Lyons, Georgia. To listen, click on this link: Wright Gres interview
