We’ve recently heard about some enterprising seniors who are involved in sailing, one way or another. Should you be thinking you’re too old to take up a new sport or continue an old one, think again.

The beginner. Kerry Van Iseghem wrote to us about her mom, Marge Ann, who lives in upstate New York. Having spent her life on the shore of Canandaigua Lake, she took up sailing in 2007 in her 83rd year. “The beauty of a sailboat on the lake has intrigued for years, and I always wanted to learn how to do it,” she says. So she purchase a Com-Pac 23 and, with the help of her children, who have been sailing for years, learned to sail. “It was daunting at first,” she admits, “but with my kids teaching me the fundamentals, I’ve learned to sail on my own.” Her kids and grandkids sail with her. “The peace, quiet, and tranquility of sailing on Canandaigua Lake is as beautiful as I imagined it would be my whole life, and I feel blessed to be able to enjoy the experience now at 84 years of age,” she says.

The yacht club. Their only local water is a pond, so, in June of 2000, residents of Greenspring Retirement Community, in Springfield, Virgina, formed a yacht club to race model sailboats every Wednesday morning in the spring and fall. There are currently 14 members, 10 men and 4 women, who range in age from 64 to 95. All but four have racing and/or cruising experience on full-size boats. Their pond boats are 31-inch Victoria One Design sloops made of heavy plastic from kits. Five members built their own boats; the others were constructed by two members who have boat-building experience. Sounds like fun. Go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRtASKzFDLg to see a video of the yacht club in action.

The winner. Kudos to San Francisco sailor Ernie Rideout, who celebrated his 90 years by winning the 2008 Santana 22 Nationals onboard MAYBE. MAYBE, hull number 19 of 830 S22s built, is herself an exemplar of the idea that you’re never too old if you’re well maintained. A series of videos have been posted on youtube.com. Start here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-dPUSBRc0