PAGE 16 • SPRING 2009 THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SAILING ASSOCIATION
SPRING 2009 • PAGE 17
LIVING THE DREAM
For more information
continued from page 4
To find out more about Black Boaters Summit you can log
Starting Out
onto www.blackboaterssummit.com, or call Cap’n Paul at
We got our start in 1997 when the manager of SunSail’s
(510) 222-6308. All are welcome.
reservations office asked me if I would help SunSail sell
yacht chartering to African American Skiers. SunSail had
conducted a study showing that there was a crossover captains are African-American men and women who have
between the sports. And they knew about the 16,000 made sailing their sport. It has evolved into a network that
member National Brotherhood of Skiers, a primarily African has created many lasting friendships and six marriages.
American snow ski club. SunSail saw the NBS as a good
sailing prospect. We have also taught sailing in the BVIs and have created
sixteen captains over the past twelve years.
SunSail provided me with four boats to use for free in
Tortola, and I went to work filling them with NBS skiers. Continuing to W ork
If fact, the response was so great, we added another six BBS continues to be an uphill battle mainly because the
yachts. In September of 1997, we set sail with our first sailing industry focuses its attention on white males who
flotilla of ten boats, and a business was born. already sail. BBS’ goal is to show people who do not swim
and have no previous exposure to open water, that sailing is
Today, out of my home in Richmond, Calif., I share my a sport for everyone. However, at the end of the day, it’s
sailing dream with others through the Black Boaters very rewarding to see the smiles on the faces of all of our
Summit, an annual summer sailing flotilla held in the first-timers.
British Virgin Islands.
As Captain Bill would say, “You can’t make fantasies
In 1997, Black Boaters Summit initially tested the waters happen, but you can make your dreams come true.” That’s
with only ten boats. Now in its twelfth year, the event has what I’m most proud of. Bill and I have both turned our
grown exponentially. At one recent summit, 280 primarily dreams into reality not just for us, but for many others as
non-sailors, participated on 24 boats. All of the boats’ well.
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