(photo and story submitted by Gary Jobson)
(photo from 1971. I am standing behind my Finn with all the weight jackets I used to wear)
In 1971, at the age of 21, I drove my 1965 Pontiac with a borrowed Finn on a trailer to Kingston, Ontario for the new Canadian Olympic Regatta at Kingston. It was a big deal. We had about 40 Finns, maybe a few more. All the big names were there. During one particularly breezy race about 15 Finns were approaching the leeward turning mark. I was just behind the pack. The waves were big and we were all surfing down the steep waves. The battle for the inside position was intense. Being behind the group I got to watch the scrum. I was setting up to round behind the pinwheel of Finns. The inside boat did a great job getting into position. But, the sailor while rounding, forgot to put his centerboard down. He slid sideways into the boat to leeward and that set off a domino effect with 15 Finns all banging into one another. For me, trailing the mess about four boat lengths behind, I simply rounded right next to the turning mark and went from 16th (or so) into the lead. Now, 49 years later I still smile about that moment.
Gary Jobson
(Jobson sailing a Laser in 1972)
(Jobson steering Tenacious in 1979 Fastnet Race)
Modern day Gary smiling and sailing his current boat, a Hood 32 (NO WEIGHT JACKETS!)
Thank you for sharing your story with us Gary!
If you have story that you would like to share with others tag us in a story on social media or reach out to events@cork.org
We are looking forward to hearing from you!
The CORK Team
CORK website: www.cork.org
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