Martha Parker: My Ultimate Sailing moment

Photographer Sharon Green, in her newly released coffee table book 30 Years of Ultimate Sailing, sought out the leaders in the sport to share their Ultimate Sailing moments. Here Martha Parker provides his…

Sailboat racing has really shaped who I am: my resilience, my attitude. As sailboat racers, we’re used to challenges. ‘Here comes a wind shift; do we tack or ride the lift?’ We come around the mark, everything goes to heck and we just say, ‘Let’s jury rig and figure this out!’

Some ultimate sailing moments are also defining moments, when you realize there is no giving up. Not at any moment in time, or any situation. And that this relates to everything around you: to sailing, to business, to life. Because there’s no room for panic or surrender. You’ve just got to think on your feet (or ‘in the water’ as the case may be), keep moving forward, ‘jury rig & sail on.’ The only thing standing between you and success is, you just have to try.

Click here for information about Sharon Green’s 30 Years of Ultimate Sailing.