“Adversity Introduces A Man To Himself” – Einstein

April 15

As I searched my memory for something of relevance and importance for my last message as the President of GSBYRA, I thought how different this message would have been a month ago and how different it might be a month from now. As you can see from the title, I settled on a theme that is both timeless and relevant.

Sailors are no strangers to adversity. They are always subject to forces beyond their control – the wind, the weather, the water – these are all fundamental parts of our sport that we have no agency over. And yet, by accepting what we cannot change and taking control of the things we can – the sails, the rudder, the weight – we are able to master the elements. I hope you can focus on that idea in the coming weeks and months and accept that although our reality has changed for now, we can control how we react to it and what we do to prepare for a different future that WILL include all of the forms of recreational and competitive sailing and cruising that we love.

Dave Hale