Alexa and Elliott Peterson of the Southern Maryland Sailing Association on Stingray.
If ever you see a slick 28-footer called Stingray sailing out of Mill Creek in Solomons with a happy couple onboard, you’ll know it’s Elliott and Alexa Peterson. Elliott writes, “Stingray is a classic 1986 MORC gem, a Nelson/ Marek design with the hull of a Merit 28 and the deck of a Santana 30/30 Grand Prix joined at birth, so it’s a very crew friendly racer.” And these Southern Maryland Sailing Association (SMSA) members cruise, too.
How did you get into sailing? Alexa learned to sail in Colorado thru an ASA keelboat course and then joined a sailing club. Our first date was a sail on a J-boat in a reservoir in Denver, CO. I [Elliott] was introduced to sailing before I could swim and almost drowned after my first outing in Lake Michigan (Sorry about that watch, Dad). I started racing Optis when I moved to Florida at age 10 and crewed with neighbor Hank Wester shortly after that. My old windsurfing friend John Lecourt, introduced me to Bobby and Rene Muller (Stingray’s former owners), MORC racing, and more in the late 1980s.
What’s the best part about being in a sailing/cruising club? We like racing Stingray on informal SMSA Wednesday night races and in weekend events with our fun, talented crew, but really enjoy racing together in double-handed races or cruising with our cruising mentors, Jerry and Donna Taylor, who are teaching us about life on the hook.
Do you have a favorite recent memory from a club rendezvous or raftup? Alexa and I sailed in SMSA's mixed couples race up the Patuxent river this year to the club’s biggest raftup of the year. It was an extremely light air day. We kept shifting gears on Stingray, sailing from one wind line to the next, as our competitors lost patience and started their engines. We ended up being the only keelboat to finish the race! Finishing was rewarding, and the raftup after that one was really fun (no jellyfish!).
Anything else you would like to share about your sailing adventures? We are always looking for new friends to come sailing or racing (or both) with us on Stingray. For 2015, we would like to extend a crew invite to any wounded veterans near Solomons or Annapolis.
