Sailing Page

I didn’t start sailing until I was in my 40s, which is about 20-30 years too late, but better late than never.

We race Thistles, a 17′ foot centerboard dinghy with a crew of 3.

The gold boat below is our first Thistle, Light Brigade, racing at Yale Lake in 2008. No, we did not hit Rainbow but we did pass within inches of her stern. This boat was originally purchased by Jen’s father in 1969 and we restored about 5 years ago.

Rainbow Crossing Light Brigade

Since then we have bought a newer boat, Glorious Defeat. Glorious defeat is a term we picked up while we lived in Scotland. It’s like a moral victory where you didn’t win but you earned the respect of your opponent and any on-lookers. This should tell you how good of a sailor I am when I have to shoot for “glorious defeats.”

This next photo is not my boat, but it is a fun example of a Thistle flying on a plane in the middle of a race.

A Thistle on a Plane