Sailing keeps families close

The Berlin Yacht Club promotes sport sailing.
By SARAH WEBER
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BERLIN CENTER -- The members of Berlin Yacht Club want you to know that recreational sailing isn't just for the champagne-and-caviar crowd anymore.
After an afternoon or evening of sailing at Berlin Lake, club members come back to hot dogs fresh off the grill, cold beer and soda.
Here, teachers, tool and die workers, accountants, psychologists, retirees, college and high school students, and others from various walks of life gather to enjoy the sport of sailing.
On Wednesdays and Sundays, they race their Thistles, Flying Scots and Highlanders -- small sailboats built for daily use.
"You wouldn't know anyone's occupation by looking at them," Jim Diffley of Boardman said. "They all have shorts on and wet feet."
Diffley, who has been sailing for 36 years, said it's a great way to spend time with the family.
"I've got friends who are golfers, and they just go out and golf with their friends," Diffley said. "This is more of something you can do with your family."
Kathy Finefrock of Aurora, who grew up sailing Thistles with her family, agreed.
"It's a good family activity because it keeps kids hanging out with their parents," she said. "It keeps families together."
Competition
Other club members said that the enjoyment of competitive sailing was what drew them to the sport. At the Berlin Yacht Club, only boats of the same design race against each other. That means that the first boat across the finish line is the winner, something sailors prefer to the mathematical equation used to figure out the winner when boats of various sizes and speeds race.
Each of the sailing vessels has a different personality and draws a unique group of sailors. John Zaegel of North Canton, who is in charge of club promotion as well as the Learn-to-Sail program, said he enjoys the quickness of his Thistle over the slower but more stable Highlanders.
"When you're looking for a boat, you should really go to a club and see who you fit in with," Zaegel said.
Depending on the condition and type of boat, the price can vary greatly, but the boats do tend to retain their value, according to Diffley, who bought his 1991 Flying Scot in 1995 for $6,000.
"Most people will usually start off with a boat that costs around $2,000," he said. "Then as you are able to, you can upgrade."
While some people invest in a boat right away, many of the club members started off as crew on other people's boats. This gave them a chance to get a feel for sailing and which boat they liked best.
Learn-To-Sale
To the Berlin Yacht Club members, the best way to get people interested in sailing is to show them how. That's why Berlin has a substantial Learn-to-Sail program for kids and adults. The program offers the opportunity for people with little or no sailing experience to learn the ropes.
"The objective is to tailor the program each day to the people that are there," Zaegel said. "We want people to be comfortable out on the water."
He said the training includes in-the-classroom work as well as practice on the boats. The junior program, which is available to kids from grades 4-12, also goes on group outings and has sleep-overs at the club.
Mark D'Apolito, a junior at Boardman High School, learned to sail at the club after he was encouraged by a friend to participate in Learn-to-Sail. He usually helps as a crew member on racing days but still enjoys taking his Sunfish -- a small, one-man sailboat usually used as a starter boat -- out on the water.
"Nothing beats a Sunfish on one of those days when you come out and there is a ripping wind," he said.
For more information on the club or the Learn-to-Sail program, call (330) 788-1700 or go to www.berlinyachtclub.com.