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Sell Out
Okay, okay - I admit it. I’m a fraud (hey, Beiley was right!). I’m no racer. And to prove it, here are pictures of my just purchased boat - a 26 year old Ranger 29. Yes it has roller furling. Yes it has an autopilot. Yes it has an anchor roller. Yes, yes, yes! Yes to everything! Are you happy now? There, I’ve admitted it - I bought a, a - this is hard to say - a little family boat! Oh my god - can you ever forgive me? All the posing about being Boy Racer! And now look at me - a roller furler for christ’s sake! Aaaaaaaagggggggghhhh!!
Okay, here’s the deal: I’ve raced and been successful at it for more years than I care to remember. My most recent involvement in the 1D 48 program soured and I took a much-needed step away from sailing (BTW, the 1D 48 program is now dead. Glad I left.). I have two small sons ( 3 and 1 ½ yrs. old) and I realized it was much more important to spend time with them than to waste weekends steering a boat for somebody else. At the same time, I want to get the boys and the rest of my family into the sailing atmosphere. It seemed to make sense to buy something (cheap!) that would have room to overnight and hang out on, while still being a decent little sailing boat. I also wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t be tempted to race it so it couldn’t be too modern. Viola! A Ranger 29 now sits in my slip at San Diego Yacht Club!
There was a time when I would have been highly embarrassed to be seen on board, let alone owning something like this, but now I think it is the coolest thing in the world! I’m I keeping it forever? Probably not. And yeah, it’s likely that the next boat will be a bit of a racer than a cruiser, but right now, to quote the Beastie Boys: “Low and Slow / That is the Tempo.” PS
- Some things never change, however. I’ve ordered some new Ullman “cruising
“ sails from my good friend Gary Swenson, and I’m already asking for
firmer Dacron, oversize mainsail girths, loose foot, 155% genoa lp,
etc. I’ve taken the chain and the anchor out of the bow, removed extra
weight…………………… To add another note our bowman here at SA just took possession of a Ranger 23 with a Santa Cruz 27 rig......HMMMM SA owns Rangers.
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