I have been sailing since college. I didn’t grow up sailing and can barely swim. I can’t really explain why I got interested but I can remember looking at boats in the old Wilmington, CA marinas and dreaming of owning a sailboat. I got into racing by crewing for my next door neighbor in South Pasadena. He and his brother-in-law had an Islander 33. There may be slower sailboats but I haven’t been on one. We raced in the PHRF races out of Newport Beach and, even though we almost always came in last, we learned a bit about what we were doing.
Here is another sort of history. I didn’t know this fellow but the story is a compelling one.
Vale Bunky Helfrich, whoever you were.