my home club Davis Island YC

I sail out of the Sailingest Club in the South: Davis Island YC
In this day and age where sailing seems to be ailing and the sport is always being marked as a dying one unless we become nascarlike and primed for tv in color, stereo and dolby sound bytes, etc. I find very refreshing to be a member of the Sailingest club in the South.
What we hinge about is sailing, racing, promoting sailing, teaching sailing, having a great youth sailing/racing program, cruising the general area and did I mentioned sailing already?! Our Thursday night racing series goes from daylight savings start to finish (or thereabouts). Every Thursday night we have 5 starts for different classes from centerboard (where I enroll my Laser every week) with Lasers, Windmills, Flying Scots, Fireball, Snipe, etc. to Spin “A” with J120, J109, J35, etc. Yeah, we also have non-spin A & B, racer-cruiser, J24-Melges 24 starts, etc. Every night 30 to 50 racing sailboats on the water. An all volunteer race committee takes turns serving or racing, four co-captains share the responsibility, all racers take turns serving as race committee. On Thursday nights, we are open to the community, dinner and drink tickets. Around 300 or more folks visit our facilities to participate in the races. The truest lung for the city of Tampa and surrounding areas.
Every other Sunday we have races as well. A pursuit start format, all against all. A little less formal than Thursdays but equally competitive.
We sponsor several classes aside from my beloved SunCoast-DIYC Laser Fleet, we have a new Sunfish Fleet, J24 Fleet, Flying Scot Fleet, Melges 24 Fleet, all based out of DIYC. We have a fantastic youth sailing program 501c3 protected which teaches sailing to 200 kids every summer! Develops great kids who grow up racing optimists, Lasers, 420’s all the way into college. Our Dinghy Dames are very active ladies who are always cooperating with everything that has to do with the club, teach women how to sail, race their Clearwater Prams on Tuesdays and their Sunfish/Laser wing sails on Fridays.
On top of that, we sponsor tons of races through the year, ladder events, qualifiers for several classes, Pan Am trials, etc. Plus, our sailors participate actively in all the local West Coast PHRF big boat circuit.
All of that on the back of club volunteers that hold 3 or 4 work parties per year, attend board meetings, repair all sorts of facilities from loud speakers to planks on the docks. A true blue collar membership. Yeah, it takes a year to become a member!! We need your money but we need your involvement in our sailing community more.
So, the reason for all this rant has a dual purpose. Obviously, I am a proud member, DIYC is a fantastic sailing organization. DIYC may as well stand for do it yourself club. The other reason is that there are hundreds of clubs, sailing centers, sailing squadrons, etc . that provide similar enjoyment to their members and fellow sailors in those areas. I can mention several in my area that are similar in intent and efforts (DIYC still is the sailingest club in the south though). Plenty, that if I happened to live in their area, I would be a proud contributing member as well.
So, is sailing a dying sport?...I don’t think so. The grassroots are fine. Just look at our little SunCoast Laser Fleet. This year we are having a series of Saturday races, ten dollars entry fee, trinkets for trophies, tons of fun and visiting 4 other such sailing centers, clubs, squadrons, etc. to make our Laser Fleet grow and show our little boats all over the place. The folks of the Treasure Coast Series on the East coast are doing the same (we copied their format actually). Look around, your club is probably having tons of sailing activities that you can join up and make better.
Perhaps all the glitter needed for tv and for the sponsors has a place at some level and the measuring parameters for success are different at that level but do not let that vision cloud yours. Don’t just sit there, sail something!
You can find DIYC www.diyc.org at the top of the picture, at the bottom South end of Davis Islands, that area is called Hillsborough Bay and it is located in the downtown area. The peninsula to the left is where I live and also home to the MacDill Air Force base, home of the Southern Command.

am I naive?...I guess by choice, I am

Am I naïve?.....I guess by choice, I am

Here is a definition from the Merriam Webster Dictionary:
Definition of NAIVE
1: marked by unaffected simplicity : ARTLESS, INGENUOUS
2a : deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment; especially : CREDULOUS

Examples of NAIVE

1. a naive belief that all people are good
2. a naive view of the world

Silly boy…always so trusting, that is me. Let’s break down these definitions:

1- marked by unaffected simplicity. Guilty as charged, simple as they come. To loosely quote Hootie and the Blowfish on their song “only wanna be with you”, “you look at me, you got nothing left to see”. No need to try to be something I am not. Not a poser, not in need to represent myself beyond what I feel is my true self. Not grand, but not pumped by artificial additives without substance.

2- deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment; especially : CREDULOUS.

Well, here I have worldly wisdom but I never think that said worldly wisdom is being used or will be used against me. Especially credulous to a fault. If you are telling me something, I have no need to doubt that what you are saying is so, why would it not be?!

Both examples of NAÏVE apply to me. I believe that all people are good (until proven otherwise). I accept there are some really bad people out there. I have a naïve view of the world, I believe that all people want to be happy, have peace in their life and enjoy the love unconditionally given.

So, does it bother me to be such?, not really. I choose to wear my pink colored glasses on a daily basis. What bothers me is the realization that some people acting on purpose, actively engage in deceit for their stupid gains. What are they winning but the accelerated loss of their souls?

So, if I know these things and I know I am not changing my ways and I know there are bad people out there on the prowl for trusting souls, why am I in conflict? Since you would ask if I we were having this conversation face to face, here is my answer. I believe in fairness. I detest being the recipient of unfair acts. I hate lies. Did you know that lying is not one of the seven deadly sins? Go figure.

Here is the easy way to remember the deadly ones:
"SALIGIA" based on the first letters in Latin of the seven deadly sins: superbia, avaritia, luxuria, invidia, gula, ira, acedia. Or in plainer English, superbia = pride, avaritia = greed, luxuria = lust, invidia = envy, gula – gluttony, ira = wrath, acedia = sloth. There are though some other bad traits that God himself hates. Six things the Lord hateth, and the seventh His soul detesteth. Namely, a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief, a deceitful witness that uttereth lies, him that soweth discord among brethren. Lying though is one of the detestable actions. And who does not detest being lied to?

Nobody is justified in deceiving a naïve soul. I recently read a Bible verse that is so clear and bright, I felt compelled to make it as my facebook status line, two days in a row. It certainly works in any belief system. Here it is, “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:1-2).

What do you think? Sounds like a worthwhile goal. Let’s change the human in the mirror first.