August 2024 Papoose Article

Son of a Son of a Sailor

Peter B. Hilgendorff, Jr.

“Haul the sheet in as we ride on the wind

That our forefathers harnessed before us.” -- Jimmy Buffet

I am in fact the son of a son of a sailor, as is my son. June was for Father’s Day, for many families, but for my family it was for sailing and that’s how many of the Yacht Club Members were introduced to the sport. Sailing in my family stems back to 1910, with my great- grandfather running small skiffs on the Hudson River as a means of getting to and from the family arsenal on Bannerman’s island. The next generation sailed on Long Island, where my grandfather taught my father and uncles to sail. Racing was the natural progression. My father was racing competitively as early as high school. I did my first Newport Bermuda race when I was 15. We had three generations on the boat that year. My grandfather, my father, and myself. My daughter raced her first Block Island Race Week when she was 5; my son when he was 6. As an entire family crew, the Hilgendorffs and spouses have a combined 155 Storm Trysail Block Island Race Weeks among us. Sailing is a family affair.

One of the negatives of getting into sailing at a young age, with a father that’s a helmsman, is you never get to steer. When I was very young in the early 80s, I was along for the ride, while he had the helm. As I got older and stronger in the 90s and early 2000s, I took over running the boats, while he had the helm. Hoisting, dousing, trimming, tacking, foredeck, pit, tactician and navigator-- I’ve done them all. As recently as 2023, at Block Island Race Week, he was 81, and yes, still on the helm.

My family rejoined the Lake Mohawk Yacht Club last year, after years away with youth sports and coaching. We spent the summer racing the Club Lightning. Now, I get to steer and my wife now runs the boat. Our third crew is our son or our daughter, when she is in town. It has been wonderful to race with my family and enjoy time on Lake Mohawk, while also enjoying the company of the other Yacht Club members. To go full circle, in early June last year, I had my father up for a day of racing. It was another three generation day, with myself and my son. A beautiful light air day, we had a 1st and a 2nd. And while I captained every other race last summer, for this day, yes, I let my father have the helm.

Come down to the Yacht Club on any Sunday afternoon to talk to the members. People are always looking for extra crew, and happy to take prospective members out for a sail. Maybe it will be the start of a long history of sailing for you and your own family.