“Goscha” on the Cover of SpinSheet!
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mong four Alerion Express 28s at Mears Marina in Annapolis lives Jason Goscha’s 2006 Halcyon. In their first year with the boat, he and his wife Stacey Andersen have sailed in every one-design racing event as well as the Boatyard Bar & Grill Regatta for Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) and the Annapolis YC (AYC) SERC Regatta, in which they competed and were captured on film by Dan Phelps for the cover of the October issue of SpinSheet. How did you get into sailing? Approximately 11 years ago, my wife and I were talking about the fact that we lived so near to the Chesapeake Bay and never availed ourselves of its benefits. We decided to take sailing lessons at Annapolis Sailing School over a long weekend, and we found ourselves yearning for more time on the water. Because we lived in Baltimore, we found the Downtown Sailing Center and joined so that we could get on the water. We eventually bought a Snipe and joined Severn SA, and shortly thereafter, we bought a J/22. Our son, Findlay, was born in 2007, and after many discussions about a boat that would be familyfriendly, we settled on the Alerion Express 28, which has certainly not disappointed us. Our six-year-old son enjoys the boat tremendously.
Can you tell us a bit about sailing with family? We think sailing with family is a way to have conversation and a different experience than what one would have on land. Everyone is engaged in the dynamic experience of adventure and fun. Whether we are taking an evening cruise and spectating races or actually racing the boat, the memories that are generated by sailing as a family are priceless. It should be noted that on hot, light-wind days, the iPad and Legos have been invoked to keep it fun!
What’s the best part about being in a sailing club? The best part about being in the Alerion Express 28 fleet is that they have been extremely welcoming to families and supportive of bringing children out onto the water. Additionally, the members of the fleet are very collegial on and off of the water, which is something we value and appreciate.
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##Jason Goscha and Stacey Andersen’s Alerion Express 28 Halcyon. Photo by Dan Phelps
Do you have a favorite recent memory from a club rendezvous or raftup? Although we have not yet done a rendezvous or raft-up (we just acquired the boat last year), we have a very nice memory of participating in an AYC summer series race this year on a day on which the wind was blowing 18-20 knots. The racing was very competitive and exciting with close roundings and finishes. The downwind legs were exhilarating.
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SpinSheet November 2013 55