Mine was a $600 Merrimack 14, looked like a rowboat but with a cat rig sail and no oars. I paid for it myself with money I'd saved. No lessons, no kid's programs, I bought a book, "This is Sailing" and figured it out. The next season I met a guy who raced Flying Scotts, who told me, "If you race you will learn 10x more in one year than you would by just dinking around..."

So I bought a Flying Scott and started racing with those guys and been racing ever since. I don't know how to cruise...but after 30+ years racing I think I'd like to learn! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />