Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2018

39 www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com feature to sailors of all types for hundreds of years in the areas of commerce, the military and recreation. Now the Charleston sailing community is evolving into one of the premier destinations for sport and recreation in the world, thanks to a core of die-hard enthusiasts. My father was an avid sailor. It was in his blood. The career path he chose as a U.S. naval officer, the social life and friends he associated with and our family recreation revolved around sailing and being on the water. I could sit and listen to him and his friends for hours as they talked about their adventures. As a youth in the 1940s, he and some buddies built their own “yacht club” on the Ashley River near Lockwood Boulevard with lumber procured from the construction site of a new hospital. They would spend their days sailing and gathering at their club planning their next outing. One day during World War II, while sitting inside the shack, the door was darkened by a young naval officer and two sailors armed with rifles. They were stationed in Charleston and saw that these young boys had decided to fly a pirate flag outside their clubhouse. The officer sternly told my father and his cronies that if they didn’t take down the flag, they would turn their new clubhouse into a pile of toothpicks in short order. They promptly complied. Charleston sailing has progressed far past that little shack and band of mariners, but one thing remains the same: the passion for sailing. Charleston is home to some of the most competitive and successful sailors in the world. The College of Charleston, for example, draws athletes from all over the globe to its sailing team and produces Olympic quality competitors. Local high schools and community sailing programs work to introduce sailing to those interested in the sport. Sailing requires time, talent and resources – lots of