Sail on, sail on, Taylor

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tradition dictates the winning skipper
of a regatta should pop a champagne
cork. Paul Taylor just called out for
valium.

The Douglas College Chemistry lab
technician won first place at the North
American West Coast Dragon-Class
Single-Handed Championship on
September 3.

Sailing off the coast of Gambier Island
against seven racing sloops from
California, Washington and B.C., Taylor
guided his 29.5-foot Dragon to wins in
the event’s first two heats. Piloting a craft
which normally requires a three-person
crew, he needed only a top-four finish in
the final heat to cinch the title and defeat
Vancouver’s Cathy McPherson, who held
second.

In the final four-mile heat, Taylor was
comfortably holding second behind
McPherson until erratic winds began
playing havoc with his sails, and grasp on
the championship. By the time he crossed
the finish line, Taylor had slipped to
fourth, barely holding off a fifth-place
challenger. The too-close-for-comfort
finish had him jokingly requesting valium
sedatives from the spectator fleet.

“Tt’s the most tension I’ ve been under
in my life,” said Taylor, quickly adding,
“except for a few times in the boxing
ring.”

Following the victory, Taylor was
invited to sail for Canada at Hong Kong’s
Interport Regatta, from November 15-22,
and the 1995 World Dragon
Championships in Perth, Australia in
January. ff

 

A solitary man: Paul Taylor
shows his solo style.