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Why Wait Another Year?
f you’ve ever uttered the words, “I’ve always wanted to learn to sail,” this is the perfect little book for you. For more than a decade, would-be sailors have called our Annapolis headquarters at SpinSheet asking us how to get started. Producing a sailing magazine for and about Chesapeake Bay sailors, we’re always happy to help. We’ll dish out as much information as we have about who to call, where to go to find skilled teachers, what to wear, what to beware of, which events longtime sailors love, and even where to relax and just watch a sailboat race. We’ve decided it’s time to write down that collective wisdom to share it with a wider audience. Start Sailing Now is the fruit of that decision.
Contrary to popular belief and (some well-earned) stereotypes found in movies and magazines, you don’t have to be rich to start sailing. Learning doesn’t require thousands of dollars—although if you’d like to spend that much, as in any sport, your options would be wide open. It wouldn’t hurt to have fancy gear, a boat, or a yacht club membership, but you don’t need any of it. We’d like to show you how to start sailing today on the Chesapeake Bay with nothing but a bare bones investment and a willingness to learn.
Here is the top truth about sailing: it’s more fun with friends. We’ve never met a sailor who doesn’t want any more sailing friends. We don’t know any sailors who haven’t taught new crew how to make their way around a boat, how to As passionate about the sport as we are, we can’t figure out why more would- decipher the lingo, or how to coil a line. be sailors aren’t active sailors now. Is it the We don’t know any sailors who haven’t time or money commitment that prevents gladly shared their jackets or gloves in foul weather or given a quick knot-tying new sailors from jumping in today? Is lesson. it a fear that they are not “invited” into the exclusive club? Is it the confusing The SpinSheet staff knows a lot about language of sailing? We think it might be sailing and a lot of sailors who are eager to a combination of all of the above. Our share their expertise. We’d like to introduce mission is to debunk the myths, to share a you to them. No need to defer your sailing few “secrets,” and above all, to invite more dream another year. You can start now. would-be sailors to become active sailors Welcome to the exciting and totally this season. addictive world of sailing! Molly Winans Editor, SpinSheet www.spinsheet.com s t a r t s a i l i n g n o w.c o m
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