J/Dreaming Some Days- Ken Read, Jim Spithill, Ben Ainslie, Sam Davies Have, too!

(Hamilton, Bermuda)-  So, what is the common denominator between these four world-renowned sailors-- Ken Read, Jimmie Spithill, Ben Ainslie, Samantha Davies (L-to-R)??  Sailing J/Boats, of course.  Specifically, J/24s, J/80s, J/105s, J/109s— at match-racing, team-racing, fleet racing on national, continental and World Championship levels.  The four sailors were assembled together thanks to the Royal Yacht Squadron's Bicentenary Regatta held on the Solent.

As many of you know, Ken won six J/24 World Championship titles, amongst many others.  Ben has raced Ken in J/24 modders down at Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands- in that “Ben & Ken Show” a few decades ago, Ben won (I think). Nevertheless, after winning a few Olympic Gold Medals in Finns, Ben has also been on the Solent sailing J/80s and J/109s of various ilk with friends as well as supporting sponsors.

Then, when Ken was winning J/24 Worlds, little Jimmie Spithill was in diapers growing up in Australia sailing circles and rumor has it that he also had some J/24 sailing under his belt with some of the locals (changing diapers, too!).  But, perhaps more importantly, now that Jimmie is grown up (according to friends), married and living in San Diego with his wife and kid(s), he bought Dennis Conner’s J/105 #3 (Lowell North’s old J/105 before D.C. got it), renamed it lucky number “17”, and keeps it at San Diego YC (he’s now a newbie member there)!  “17” was also sailing as part of the J/105 Masters Championship and may be there again this year!

Finally, “Sam” Davies is certainly no shrinking violet, even amongst this talented crowd.  She, too, has had quite a bit of experience sailing J/80s, J/109s and what not on the Solent as part of her experiences growing up racing in the United Kingdom.

Just goes to show that Ben, Ken, Jim, Sam got someplace with some determination.  So, you can start somewhere, someplace and someday become something somewhere else!?!  Play your cards right, kids, and you, too, can be somebody, somewhere, famous, sailing or otherwise!!