At 11 years old Jim started his sailing career aboard his Uncle’s Teak Lady on San Francisco Bay. Moving to South America shortly afterward, the closest he came to sailing was watching Thor Heyerdall build and then depart on his trip to the South pacific (his father, and engineer was the helping hand.)

Years later at the University, Jim sailed and raced on a number of small boats; snipes, comets, lightning’s and finally a crew on a Star boat during the Bacardi Cup.

After three years at the University of Miami he moved back and finished his schooling at the University of San Francisco. But sailing was in his blood and he joined with his brother in racing International 14s’, then on his own in Finns, and a mess of racing keel boats, Santanas’, Moore 24s’, Olsen 30s’ and wound up in a 51’ wooden cruising ketch, and became a yacht broker.

After “getting blown off the bay” Jim moved back to South Florida and warm water and gentle breezes and again continued as a yacht broker and found a new love: Catamarans, where he is now at The Catamaran Company.