Talking About What Has Changed in Sailing, and What Hasn’t

At a recent team meeting, we got together, in person (which still feels like a miracle every time we do this), to talk about sailing, Latitude 38 magazine, our online presence (‘Lectronic Latitude, social media channels, etc.), and about what has or hasn’t changed in our field of work and interest. When we delved into the topic, we could see that sailing has undergone many changes, mostly in terms of the types of boats and equipment available to us, but also a little in terms of the people who take to the water to enjoy this sport in its many forms. Inevitably, the conversation turned to the past, leading to a bit of reminiscence — not surprising considering half of us have been with the magazine almost from the beginning. To one who wasn’t there for the heady, loose, and sometimes raunchy days of the ’70s and ’80s, it was interesting to get a glimpse into the origins of the magazine and the types of stories and photos that graced the earlier decades.

Now, we know there are many readers who will admit to missing the images of the scantily clad bodies lounging on decks and beaches. We also know there are as many readers who have happily moved along with the times and enjoy the more modern version of the magazine that tries to balance the fun with political correctness (dull as that may sound, it has its merits), diversity, and the presentation of sailing as being for everyone. Regardless of your or our opinions, the world has changed significantly over the past 50 or so years, and there’s not a lot we can do about it. But, that said, we did discuss the idea of bringing back some of that early flavor, and seeing where it leads. One idea that was bandied about pertained to the centerfold. Remember when centerfolds were a thing? Just about every magazine had one — at least the ones we were reading did. So we thought, why not throw in a centerfold from time to time, and see what happens?

Being the cautious sailors we are, we didn’t want to cast off into the unknown without a little preparation, or at least some idea of what may lie ahead, so we thought we’d test it out here first, in ‘Lectronic Latitude (it’s not permanently in print, easy to take down if found offensive). Now, without further ado, we invite you take a look at both the past and the possible future by viewing our first, from the archives, centerfold.