Some favorite pics of summers past or present
 

This is Windward Passage. Probably the premier maxi yacht of the early 1970s. I got to sail on her in 1976 and that ended my serious one design aspirations as I just wanted to go fast on big boats. But this 73' girl was special. There was a LOT going on when this much laundry was flying. Only sail missing here is the mizzen. IOR rule made for some of the coolest racing yachts that you could actually live aboard, unlike most of those built today, nevermind the foiling crowd. So when I saw this pic come up I had to share.

Nice pic, some of the wildest races I remember in my youth was when I was manning the spinnaker while almost standing vertical on the side of my friends International 110, wondering if the knockdown was going to send me flying in a wild ride on the trapeze wire I was attached to. It was always a dangerous dance trying to fly to much sail in heavy gusty weather, but man if you could catch a big swell on the planning hull it was so much fun.

First time I ever raced on a sailboat was a Rhodes 19 in Padanaram with a friend and his young daughter. She was like, dad you’re gonna miss the start. He was like no we’re fine. Boom! Scrambling ensues. Then he’s like spence put up the spinnaker. I’m like what’s that? He’s like it’s in the laundry basket under there. My racing career was pretty short lived.

Slightly a little less glamorous than the photo above :laugha:

Jeanne and I crewed on a 37' Southern Cross back in the 70s.