Stillwater Family Puts Wind in Their Sails

James and Suzann Brown of Stillwater had been sailing for many years when they enrolled their son Jackson in lessons at the Saint Croix Sailing School in Hudson.

“In this day and age—with all the technology and stuff—sailing is such a great sport to get outside and use just the wind, something so natural, to get around,” James Brown said.

The couple’s only child said he loves the sport.

“I like going fast; and the competitive part of the sport,” Jackson said. “It’s fun to get to go new places and try new ways of getting better and faster and winning.”

Jackson’s been taking lessons for two years and is a member of the school’s competitive team. On July 8 he joined other members of his team and competed in the Hudson’s school’s River Run Regatta in the bay. But sailing isn’t everything, he is very involved in Boy Scouts and theater – but sailing brings some teamwork components to the 13-year-old.

Working with a team member, Jackson helped sail a 420 boat (a two person boat with a main sail and a jib).

“I like it because it requires teamwork and communication,” he said.

James Brown said he has seen his son's confidence grow.  

That’s one of the reasons the Saint Croix Sailing School was started, said Jon Morris, the school's co-chair.

“We knew there was a need for some sailing lessons as there isn’t anything like that here,” Morris said. “It gives kids a chance to learn things beyond the basics of sailing that they’ll be able to use for their whole lives.”

A sailing competition is a typical Friday activity in the summertime for Jackson – The Saint Croix Sailing School competes with other Twin Cities Youth Sailing (TCYS) schools throughout the area – including teams from lakes Calhoun, Minnetonka and White Bear.

“It’s nice because you get to know people from other teams and compete against them,” Jackson said.

One of the perks, Jackson said, is the life-long appeal of sailing.

“It’s a sport that you can do for a long time,” he said. “You can do it even when you get a little older.”

While they don’t often sail as a family, when they do get out, Jackson is allowed to help and does some of the sailing.

James Brown does some racing of his own with others in a sailing club in Hudson.

“I love it because it’s as close to flying as you can get,” he said. “The wind comes and you just fly down the river. You’ve got a breeze on your face and there’s no sound of a motor – it just doesn’t get better.”

Sailing may be a gentleman’s sport, but when it comes race time, it’s still very competitive.

“It’s competitive. You want to win just as bad as any guy playing football or soccer or anything else. It’s same as other sports,” he said. “People try hard to use the rules to their advantage and do better than the next guy. Everybody wants to win really badly.”