When did you start sailing?

[Blueboatman]

Before marinas, shore power, non leaking decks ( and when along the waterfront of many creeks people really did live in shoeboxes, or boxes on top of old WW2 decommisioned hulks anyway)...Every boat was different too or so it seemed

 

[mjcoon]

Aged 11 in a Heron (a new class). Soon graduated to a VJ with twin banana boards. Anyone remember those?

The Heron rings a bell; I think I went sailing on the Serpentine in Hyde Park on those in the early 1970s. Very much a "Come in number 7, your time is up" deal. And around the same time in Turtles (not the best name for a basic dinghy!) on a course in some boating lake in Putney. I would have been nearly thirty, though...

Mike.

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

I first experienced the water when I was about 5 and we had a little rowing-boat that went on top of the car and we took to Cornwall. I don't think I have photos of my first sailing, which was the Broads in about 1947 but this was a year or two later. We slept in a Ring of Light cruiser and sailed dinghies and half-deckers. My twin is on the right while I'm doing all the work:

A great photo... Clearly well trained crew with that mop!

Pete

 

[Woodlouse]

I wasn't more than 6 weeks old when I first went sailing. Every summer holiday I've ever had has been on a boat. Been mucking about in dinghies since I was four or five and took command of my first yacht when I was 20.

I do it for a living now as well, but that provides nothing like the pleasure of doing your own thing in your own boat.

 

[C08]

The other end of the scale for me. After a serious illness when almost 50 I took up sailing as rock climbing (my first love) was off the agenda. This surprised many people I knew as I was the most seasick and travel sick person they had ever known. Wife, daughter and I learned to sail together from a book held and read from by the non helm person! A few boats later we both love cruising and I now wish I had not been so obsessive about climbing that excluded lots of other good tings in life.

I love the shots of the young sailors and some interesting tales.