Olaf Harken passed away Oct 21, 2019.

by · Published · Updated

Months ago Ron Allat, one of Ronstan founders passwed away and past Monday Olaf Harken (Photo to the right) . Two enterpreneurs who were the back bone of Sailing development through the years. Below official release by Harken

“Today we remember Olaf Harken. Olaf passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning with loved ones nearby.

This morning in Pewaukee, Peter Harken told an assembly of Harken members: “My brother did all the hard work so I could have all the fun. During the days when the company was just getting going, Olaf was in charge of the money. He kept us in business. If I had been in charge of that we would have been in big trouble. His legacy is in this culture. So, let’s just keep doing what we do. Just keep getting better. You are a great family. Thanks a lot. He’ll be watching you, so no sloughing off!”

The brothers took a lot of chances over the years – and their employees are still encouraged to do the same. When Olaf Harken was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2014 along with Peter, he explained the brothers’ business philosophy: “When trying new stuff our rule is to ask, ‘if it all goes bad, can we survive?’ Then we go to the bar and forget what we just said and do it anyway!”

The Harken story has been full of twists, turns, successes, and reinventions, but through it all, the goal of challenging the status quo and commitment to being at the front remains.

We encourage you to share your memories of Olaf with us. Feel free to leave a comment here or send us a message.