Mark Reynolds joins us on the SDYC Sailcast to discuss how he got into sailing, his experiences racing through his career, the Olympics, his icons, and what he’s doing now.
Mark started sailing in a Sabot that his father built him when he was just a toddler. For the next 17 years, he stuck with the Sabot learning skills that he says was the foundation of his progression through the years. “It was huge for my tactic and boat handling skills,” he says.
Stories of Mark’s childhood in the boat were exchanged with host Alli Bell. He talked about sailing vs. other sports, his transition to the Laser and the Snipe, and how his father impacted his sailing career.
Mark mentions big SDYC names like Malin Burnham and Dennis Conner being an instrumental piece of his learning. From an early age, working with Dennis taught him skills on how to build and improve boats.
From there, Mark talks about his Flying Dutchman campaign, sailing in the Snipe and Star classes, world champions and other great successes in sailing. He tells stories of regattas like Keel Week, spending time in Europe, and the boycott of the Olympics at the time.
After the boycott, Mark made his way back to the US where he started to focus on the Star boat. He transitions into his sail making career, Quantum, how he got into it, and where it led him. He also discusses how sail making made him a better sailor overall. In fact, he informs us that most of the boats that went to the ’88 Olympics were using his sails.
Mark continued telling stories of the Olympics, the different locations he got to visit, and why some were better than others. He speaks of the Olympic Villages, the Opening Ceremonies and marching in the ’92 Olympics with the Dream Team. He also reflects on the Olympics in Barcelona alongside other SDYC sailors.
Since then, the Star has been removed as an Olympic boat. Mark discusses his opinions on this explaining, “I think what the Olympics should be focused on is the athletes not the equipment. Which equipment brings the best athletes?”
Moving on, Mark talks about the Star Sailors League and what it’s all about before discussing his next adventures in and out of the sailing world. With a new grandchild and more time to focus on his personal life, Mark talks about making up for lost time with hobbies and his family.
The episode concludes with Mark’s advice on getting involved in sailing as a junior or an adult, explaining that you can’t be afraid to ask folks like him questions.