At what age would you consider......

[bamamick]

yourself too old to start a new sailing program? I know, I know, loaded question. My wife and I were talking the other day about my sailing plans for the future. As I have said here on more than one occasion, my backround is in the Star class, and I own a Star and a Dragon now.

The only other ambition that I have now in sailing is to maybe try and put a 6 meter program together in a few years. My question is this; does it make sense to start a new sailing career at 50? At what point do you reach a point of diminishing returns?

My wife thinks that this is a pointless question. Her opinion is that if the desire is there then no time is too late, but I have always tried to be at least a little bit practical as far as boats go (is that an oxymoron?).

What do you folks think, assuming good health?

Mickey Lake

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

Hey... age is a changing perspective. I'm 45 now, and when my grandparents were 75, they were getting old. My dad is 74 now, and he just returned this summer from a year in Florida on the boat. (We live on Lake Ontario don't forget)He works out at the YMCA three times a week.

My point is that our perspective on age is based on history, and not present day. People at ages that we considered "old" are in better health, better physical condition, and hence far more capable of doing active things today. Post second war medicine has improved not only the length of our lives, but the quality of that length.

Mickey... you're a young lad yet. ;)

[Hwyl]

I know plenty of people who sail into their 70's. I had a friend who sailed a dayboat, it had a gentlemans agreement that no one hiked out. Of course some younger guys (this was 30 years ago, and I'm ashamed to say---) started hiking out. The boats were weight sensetive and David proposed that the combined age of the crew should exceed 200. He sailed with two other septagenarians. I remember him saying something like---you twenty year olds can sail as hard as you want, but there has to be ten people in the boat.BTW David usually won no matter even without hiking out.

I originally wanted to say just two words in this post---Paul Elvstrom

[Ian McColgin]

One year the Race Committee at Edgartown Race Week included a fellow from the Larchmont area, gent in his eighties or so, tall, gaunt, big WASPy nose and face of chiseled granit. During one race week down on the Sound he'd been observed to be a tad peaked looking. Nice thing about yacht racing is that there's no shortage of physicians and at the cocktail party after some of these gathered around the old fellow trying to convince him that he'd had a heart attack.

Got him to go to the hospital where it was confirmed: He'd had had a heart attack. His remark was that he'd been pissed off at his grandson's handling of the spinnaker. Anyway, he was told that now there was nothing for it but bed rest, to which is replied with some vigourous anglo saxon terms and left the hospital. Raced the next day and the rest of the series.

I asked him to what he owed his astonishing toughness and vigor.

"Red meat and whiskey," was his bold reply.

I believe him, at least in part, but surely sailing has some role.

If you start soon, no reason you should not have a 20 year career in the sixes. You'll also be a wonderful resourse for bringing along the new generation of sailors who serve as your crew.

[Jim Budde]

You wonder if 50 is too old to start another sailing program??!! In 1836, at age 56, Davy Crocket rode halfway across the country and fought in the Alamo. Several years ago (and long after I was 50) I ran the New York Ciy Marathon with a guy who had just turned 80! And you wonder about sailing in the future?

Stop thinkin' and get going

[Tom Galyen]

Joshua Slocum was 54 years old when he returned from his epic solo circumnavigation of the world.

He was 50 years old when he began the reconstruction of "Spray" the boat he performed this feat in.

Get out and sail!

Tom G. (Seaweed)

[Harry Miller]

My brother-in-law, Wil Hendershot, is 56. He got back into sailing about 10 years ago. First J24's but now he races his Star almost exclusively. I think he just wants to get down south in the winter for the Bacardi Cup. I agree with your wife. Just DO IT.
Edited to add: But you need to got away from the computer first.

[ 11-12-2004, 11:51 AM: Message edited by: Harry Miller ]

[preston]

As John Gardner once said about another man's ambitions:

"This project will add 10 years to your life"

Better get started soon.
Preston

[uncas]

My father was sailing and yes, buying sail boats into his early 80's. Swtiched to power finally as he did not have the strength to pull in the lines.
On the other hand, he thought this was OKAY as his son's had sailboats...one plastic and big and the other wooden and cramped to hitch rides on without having to do all the work. :D

[Wild Wassa]

ML, at what age? The age of your joints Skipper.

If the change in direction means that you can be competitive, within a few years or even immediately, that could appeal. The 6 m Class is an impressive direction to consider.

Competing in the Star Masters Regatta Series would be very interesting and $200,000 spent in the first season would make you feel as though you had had a go.

Good luck with which ever direction you choose ... and don't give an inch. That is a hard ask in a 6m yacht though, you could spend the 200 grand in one wrongly defended inch.

One can spend $70,000 AU on a new 49er, 70 on a Freemantle 505, getting closer to the water could keep you feeling younger ... again, consult your joints.

Warren.

[ 11-12-2004, 07:30 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[bamamick]

Warren, as a matter of fact a trip to Miami for the Masters is on the agenda when I turn 50. I haven't sailed in Miami in a long time, and I promised my crew that we would make that trip. Of course, I'll need a little newer boat than the one I have now. That's also in the plans.

As far as the 6 meter goes, there are a couple of boats available for around $25,000US. If you don't have to have cutting edge then there are boats around that are not outside of the 'average' guy's means, it's just the things that go with it, like transport and equipment that eat you up. I would say that a $40,000US investment could get you started here in North America. That's a lot of money for a dayboat, but what does a new J/24 cost, or a Melges 24? Probably more.

Just a matter of priorities. If I can do it I will. Right now I'm just trying to get what I have now going.

Mickey Lake

[Magwitch]

At fifty I was sailing solo with a wheelchair stowed on deck. My knees had gone and I used the chair to get me to and from the bar. Note: A wheelchair get you served first in most pubs. Note also that most sailing is done sitting down.
At sixty with new titanium racing knees I can manage without the chair, but I have to wait to get served. Swings and roundabouts eh?.

IanW

[cdragon]

50 is not the problem that I see-50 could be a huge advantage (old bull, young bull...) the problem is where are you going to find a fleet of meters to race in the US?!?!?!?!

[NormMessinger]

Fifty! You throw around the number 50 when you grasshoppers talk about being too old? Harrumph. Raise your hand, if you have the energy, if you have not seen the picture of Mr. Dillon and his sailing companion in the happy birthday thread I started. We are only as old as we think we are, eh, JD.

[bamamick]

Good morning, folks. There are 6 meter fleets in Seattle, Port Huron, and there is a growing fleet in the northeast with boats in Maine, Massachusetts, and L.I. Sound. Of course, the east coasters haven't actually sailed together as of yet, but they may soon.

My original question was not about sailing in general, but about starting a new program, which involves investing years of practice and developement. I pretty much got the answers that I expected. I guess that in this, as in all sailing ventures, practicality takes a back seat way in the rear. The bottom line is that if I can do it, and I want to do it, then I should do it. I knew that in my heart, just wanted to see if anyone had had a similiar experience.

Thanks. Mickey Lake

[seafox]

2 days after your dead is when its too late to start. I am 43 my grand father lived to be 86 and got his own antelope that year he died. my dad smoked and died at 77 I am 43 and hope dispite all the second hand smoke that I have 43 years left and will find a wife and still have childern with any luck I could see a grand child graduate highschool.
all I know about sailing is that its better with the cloth part in the air and the bottom of the boat in the water
jeffery

[bamamick]

Whadayamean he got his own antelope? What did he do with the antelope? Do you mean the quadraped antelope, or is there something else in Utah called an antelope? You got me on that one.

Mickey Lake

[NormMessinger]

Actually is wasn't an antelope. It was a Pronghorn and I rather doubt he ran it down.

tongue.gif

[Wild Wassa]

"... with new titanium racing knees ..." - Magwitch.

I wouldn't mind one of those new titanium racing knees ... I'll go and check the Harken catalogue, :cool: .

" ... We are only as old as we think we are ..." - Norm.

Norm, you left out the bit about putting up with extreme pain. I'm sorry Sir, but I've always viewed this early warning as spin.

Warren.

[ 11-15-2004, 09:00 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[gert]

Old and 50 shouldn't be used in the same sentence.

[ 11-16-2004, 07:23 PM: Message edited by: gert ]