Can you remember your first time sailing?

My first time sailing was two up in a zepher, on a skanky river. Neither of us had a clue what was going on, and to add to our fear, we were sailing close to a weir(which may as well have been the end of the world as far as we were concerned!) To avoid our almost inevitable death, I cryed loads, and pretended to be sea sick, the instructor towed us back to the pontoon, and I didnt sail again for ages.

Eventually caught the bug though!

the first time i went sailing (that i can remember anyway) i was about 3 or 4 and my dad was working in Hong Kong for several year and so we lived there. he had bought himself a dinghy that was a bit shorter than a wayfarer but nowhere near as heavy. anyway we were sailing round the bay and he his boss in his brand new yacht and said something along the lines of race you to the harbour. we went into a shallow place cos of the tide then capsized (think there was a gust but not sure)at the age of 3 or 4 i was rescued by the Hong Kong version of the RNLI . not realy rescued but lifted into their RIB while dad righted the boat.

the 2nd time i can remember was on a sigma 33 (hired for the day) on a sailing holiday in turkey. was very boring for a 5 year old.

my first solo sail must have been in an oppy in benfleet creek in essex during the cadet week. that was much more fun.

I started in a gunter rig Fairey Duckling in Chichester Harbour - 2 years of crewing tought me very little as the first time I took it out solo, aged 10, I completely failed to understand why the boat would not go back to the club (into the wind) and had to be rescued by a rowing boat. 

Then my father stripped it down to minimum weight and fitted it with things like shroud adjusters(!) and the top part of a Moth mast and we got to be able to beat Mirrors for years, occasionally without our handicap, before moving up to a Firefly.

Now mostly at the back of an Osprey, sometimes in a Contender (when my husband is otherwise occupied) and with leanings towards a Cherub.

my first sail was perched on the side of a trimaran challenger when my dad joined a disabled sailing club

i then had a go in a topper on my own and haven't looked back (well only to wave at the people behind me in a race )