"Imagine a state with beautiful lakes, clean and clear waters, nearly devoid of power boats and crowds. Can you envision, as I do, a sailboat slipping quietly across those waters?"

Bob Richards

In many significant ways, this association's history is both the history and the evolution of Bob Richards' unique and generous vision for a community of inland sailors in the majestic mountains of West Virginia (and his loving wife Sandy's tolerance and support for that). This is how Bob tells the story:

Then ...

In the summer of 1971, on a small lake in Grass Valley, California, I looked up from my chair on the beach (a piece of driftwood) to see a very fast moving boat coming right at me. The guy driving the thing was hanging off on a wire and seemed completely out of control! (I now know this is called "flying a hull.") At the very last moment, he turned that boat 90 degrees, gently dropped that hull back onto the water and came to a stop. With a broad smile and pride on his face, he said,  "Hi, I'm Willy. Want a ride?"

... and now

Sailing alone is both peaceful and serene, but frankly, sharing with others both the art and joy of this sport is far better, and long ago surpassed my need to win regattas. When I first put my boat in the water at Summersville Lake and started away from the beach, it quickly became apparent to me that I was the only sailboat out on a warm, clear and breezy day. That same story played out weekend after weekend ... Where are all the boats? My answer came soon enough. There weren't any! Well, not boats with sails!

I hope to change that.

Imagine a state with beautiful lakes, clean and clear waters, nearly devoid of power boats and crowds. Can you envision, as I do, a sailboat slipping quietly across those waters? No noise, no real costs, no pollution, adding only its grace to an already wonderful sight.