My Dad was a sailor. First, he built his own boat (small scow looking thing) then got entranced by the Shark catamaran. First regatta I remember is the 1974 Shark Nationals in Hampton/Newport News/Virgina Beach area (I bet Mary was there). He evolved to the Tornado, then the brand spanking new Nacra 5.2. We spent many, many hours on that boat and he eventually became a Nacra dealer. At the Nacra North Americans at Lake Tahoe (1982, I think), I got to ride on a Roland 36 (Tom Roland, designer of the Nacra line - maybe?). It looked like 5.2 on steroids. The skipper took me and about 8 nuns in their habits out on the lake for a sail (plus his crew). We almost turned the boat over in a puff. Quite exciting as the nuns were scurrying around the boat trying to maintain their decorum.

I have a brother and a sister who have no real interest in sailing and were raised in the same environment. I've always thought that it was odd they didn't get bitten by the bug.