Water|Air|Land

Water

“No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.”
—Helen Keller

In my sailing career I’ve been wet, tired, and even a little scared, but I’ve loved every minute of it. All my life I have been good at sports, but never great. Sailing is the one possible exception. I wouldn’t call what I’ve accomplished “great”—but maybe “pretty good.”

A word about sailing terms. A regatta is a series of sailboat races usually held over several days. A class is a type of sailboat that conforms to certain dimensions and weight restrictions, which theoretically means that all boats in one class are the same. I grew up sailing the “C” class, which is the smallest type of scow boat. I always believed in one design sailing because if the boats were identical, the outcome of the race was primarily dependent on the skill of the sailor.

If I were to be left my own devices, I would choose to sail a Laser or a Finn, which are singlehanded boats. You don’t have to depend on anyone else for decisions – it is all on you.

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