In the beginning

"I have always been attracted to the solo sailing milieu. As a kid I was fascinated by, and closely followed, the adventures of Chichester, Mortissier, Knox-Johnson, David Lewis, Tabarly and the rest of the early pioneers. Since I first began organizing short handed racing in 1991 I have become more and more attracted to the self sufficiency afforded those who operate their boats short handed, basically solo or double handed. Today sailing is one of the last fields of endeavor where an individual can make his or her preparations and is largely obliged to bear the consequences of these decisions once at sea. I am immensely interested in all the lessons learned by individuals as they make short handed voyages small and large. My personal goal would be to have many more sailors be better prepared and more confident to make the voyages we all read about and dream of by participating in the kinds of events that an association such as the one we are about to establish can produce and promote."

-Joe Cooper
Inaugural meeting of the SSA, December 7, 2006