Families that Race Melges 24s together, Have Fun Together!
The Quarantillo family, seen here out on the Dillon Reservoir racing the family's boat "Cannonball," will race the boat together at this weekend's Dillon Open Regatta on the Dillon Reservoir.
Photo from Heather Quarantillo
Sailing is where it is at when it comes to family. This past weekend, U.S. Class member Joe Quarantillo along with his wife Heather and sons Joss and Bridger aboard Cannonball, competed together at the the Dillon Open Regatta.
It is the Dillon Yacht Club’s annual event held on the biggest weekend of summer races on the Dillon Reservoir. Heather and Joe have developed a passion for sailing in their sons after the parents learned to sail on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in Western New York in the late 1990s.
Heather said 14-year-old Joss was champing at the bit to join the Dillon Yacht Club’s Junior Sailing Program when he 5 years old and saw his parents racing each summer weekend. Joss wasn’t able to join until he was 10 while 9-year-old Bridger was able to join last year after the program began accepting younger sailors.
Heather said while Bridger is still getting his feet wet learning the fundamentals of sailing, the sport has become Joss’ greatest passion in life.
“He took to it right away,” the mother said. “He’s working his way up sailing as many boats as he can get on. He coaches with the Dillon junior sailing program — it’s his very first job. And he loves every minute of sailing. He hopes to someday become a pro racer.”
Heather said there aren’t many sports a family can do together. Sailing, she said, provides a summertime equivalent to what she can do with her husband and sons in the winter when skiing.