Conviction shocking club membership

by Phoebe Wall Howard
Warning: Details in this story contain graphic description of trial testimony.

Robert Allen Declercq of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, is the son of a Great Lakes sailing legend whose boat “Flying Buffalo” dominated Port Huron to Mackinac Island races for years.

The longtime sailmaker, who later became a wealth manager at Morgan Stanley, built a record of race success on different boats — he was considered a highly desirable crew member in high demand. Declercq was inducted into the Bayview Mackinac Hall of Fame in 2023.

But in recent weeks, pages with his name that honored his legacy have been removed from the digital race program archived by the club. Declercq, 72, is sitting in jail, facing a potential life sentence. – Full report