top of page
Recent Posts

The Lessons of Sailing

The Lessons of Sailing

– START EARLY The two kids were sitting low in the Optimist named “Water Rat”. Side by side, looking ahead, just the tiller separating them. What would await them out there?

This was in June of 2012 when the Morris's had sponsored our children Nikos and Sophie to participate at PSA’s Junior Sail for their first time. The kids sailing “Water Rat” that day were Sophie and Dominic. He was an old pro at the sailing of Optis. And today Sophie remembers fondly “I felt very happy because the wind was blowing and the sails were full”. She loved how the blue sky was so beautiful on Blackhole Creek. “Sailing just rocked all the things I was thinking about into a better feeling” she says. After they left the dock she just took a deep breath. Domenic and she were quiet for a long time. Later when it was her turn to take the helm the wind picked up and things got even more exciting. Nikos remembers his first capsizing: “I was scared as heck!” But it was at PSA where he learned how to deal with this situation and together he and the other child in the boat righted the boat, bailed it out and continued on. One of the many fantastic teachers, Captain Greybeard likes to point out that while out on the boat sailing, one learns what the word “consequences” actually means. We all learn to respect the environment and rely on ourselves. These days our kids are often overly protected. Learning to trust ourselves is a great way to boost our self-confidence.

That week was one of the best that year. It very much reminded me of my childhood in Austria, where I learned how to sail. Good memories!

As happy and I have to admit, proud, owners of the Alberg 30 Cookin’ hull # 464 and members of the A30 Association my husband David and I found a second family in this One-Design Association. It was with them that we had been to various events at PSA and always enjoyed the pleasant club facilities. But since that first week of Junior Sail we got to meet more and more members of the club. We could not stop noticing what a very special group of people the members of PSA we had met were. So many had been with the club for years, just as the A30. Many spent their own childhood sailing at PSA, just as many A30 kids. And both clubs are very family oriented. It is not too surprising that Alberg 30 owners have chosen PSA as their home since the sixties! So thanks to some of our A30 friends who sponsored us we applied for a membership and are very happy to have been invited to join last year. It already feels like a second home! We are looking forward to this upcoming sailing season and many events on land and by water with both clubs.

“All our words will be useless unless they come from within.” Mother Teresa

Renee Cooper

bottom of page