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Written by Peter A. Robson
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 This year, 2008, marks the 40th anniversary of Pacific Yachting. The collection of bound volumes in my office contains almost 500 issues, takes up 10 feet of shelf space and represents the collective work of thousands of boaters—not only staff and freelancers, but the entire boating community—who have generously contributed to and supported the magazine over the years. To pay tribute to the magazine’s history and its role in B.C.’s recreational boating community, we’ll be looking back each month in 2008 and sharing some of the magazine’s highlights from the past 40 years.
I was 12 years old in 1968, when Pacific Yachting first hit the newsstands. During that same year, to keep me out of trouble during the summer, my parents signed me up for sailing lessons at Kitsilano Yacht Club in Vancouver. Those lessons (taught by Gary Sutherland, now with Western Marine) represented a turning point in my life. I became a sailing nut. Which led to keelboat racing, working at the now defunct Marine Mail Order Supply and becoming a sailmaker for Macken Sails (when Howard Macken owned it) and briefly for North Sails.
In the 1970s, I was lucky to be racing on some of the top boats, and I’d scoured the magazine for race results and action photos. I was also interested in writing and was thrilled when Peter Chettleburgh, then PY’s assistant editor, gave me my first chance. It was a small item on the Cape Scott race, a short-lived offshore challenge up and down the west coast of Vancouver Island. Wow! To see my name in print—even though I wasn’t paid—was the greatest thrill of my life, and I let myself daydream of one day working full-time for Pacific Yachting. I wanted to be like Gerry Kidd, Sven Donaldson, Peter Vassilopoulos and other regular contributors.
Pullquote: “Their offshore adventure stories inspired fantasies of the South Pacific: tropical lagoons, palm trees and, best of all, topless Tahitian women in grass skirts.”
But it wasn’t just the racing. The offshore adventure stories of Liv Kennedy, the Roths, the Pardys and others carried me beyond racing. Their stories planted the seeds of offshore travel and inspired fantasies of the South Pacific: endless sandy beaches, tropical lagoons, palm trees and, best of all, topless Tahitian women in grass skirts. When I was old enough, I followed in the wake of my heroes and racked up offshore miles as crew and skipper, and as a boat bum in Florida and the Caribbean. Wherever I was, I’d try to hunt down copies of Pacific Yachting—mainly to read Liv Kennedy’s column about B.C. cruisers in various parts of the world; occasionally, Liv would even include a note about my adventures.
At that time, I never dreamed that, some 25 years later, I’d be sitting in the editor’s chair of the magazine that inspired and entertained me for so many years. I’m honoured to be here and to be a part of the boating media. The only difference between the dream and the reality, however, is how much darn work it is—and I’m certain that hasn’t changed over the years!
Now, with almost 500 back issues to live up to, I’d better get back to work or there won’t be a next issue. Thanks to all our readers, subscribers and advertisers for your support, for without you, we wouldn’t have had those 40 wonderful years upon which to reflect.
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