Sailing Fills Glass Past Half-Full

The last week or so reminded us once again how stepping off land and onto a sailboat can immediately put miles of psychic distance between oneself and the all the economic and political craziness of the day. The weekend before last, Latitude 38 Associate Publisher John Arndt sailed a soul-soothing Great Pumpkin Regatta at Richmond YC aboard a Beneteau 10R with some old friends in what he described as, "idyllic weather and perfect breeze." The following day and several hundred miles to the south, hundreds of sailors walked the rat race’s plank, effectively telling their shoreside stress to take a break, as they joined the second largest ever fleet in the Baja Ha-Ha.

The New York Times even jumped on the bandwagon when Personal Finance Editor Ron Lieber penned, "Some Investments May Still Be Worth The Price." The piece profiles Great Lakes sailor Ron Stefanski, his family, their sailboat, and what it means to them — in the process reminding us that many discretionary investments have far more value than the money they require.

“If you value family and friendships and experiences, the things that you might
lose don’t mean quite as much,” Stefanski’s wife Kay is quoted as saying. “It puts it all in perspective.”

We couldn’t agree more — sailing is unrivaled in its ability to put it all in perspective. The November issue of Latitude 38 hit a magazine rack near you on Friday, and it’s filled with stories about people all over the world who’ve spurned dire news to spend quality time on the water. So if you find yourself struggling to keep a smile on your face, spend some time on the water this week and take a moment to stretch out in your bunk with a copy of Latitude 38. The magazine is free, so it won’t cut into your boat budget and you can find a copy at any place you’ll find on our updated list of distributors here.