When is too young just too young?

I started sailing when I was three. My Dad built me a home made sabot and we launched it in the family pool. Most people can’t believe that I started that young and some say it wasn’t really sailing, but by the age of four I was sailing two-up at the local sailing club with an older boy and absolutely loved it. But is this too young? I was already swimming at age two (assisted by floatation of course), so was basically on the water from day dot.

I know many of our LSD readers have kids, so when will you get them on the water sailing? When will you let the guards of parenthood down and throw them in a boat and say “come back when you know the ropes”?

At the sailing school where Johnsee and I work, the youngest we can take in is aged seven. Sometimes this really bothers me, as I wish we could take the younger kids, however at present our insurance policy just won’t allow it.

Sailing is one of the only sports where you can start as a kid and keep going until the day you die. Not many other sports allow that. Just look at soccer, tennis and athletics. There comes a time when these athletes have to retire because their bodies can no longer keep up with the demand required to continue, whereas sailing is a mind game. As long as your brain works, you can just keep going and going. Sail off into the sunset and never look back.

So, how old, or young were you when you started sailing? At what age did you get your kids into sailing? (If you have kids). When is it too early? Was my Dad crazy getting me into a boat at such a young age?