- Henry Menin: A Name Familiar in Sailing Circles
- From Club Racing to Umpiring at the America’s Cup
- A New Chapter: Writing “Eric” During the Pandemic
Many in the world of sailing, both in the Caribbean and far beyond, know Henry Menin. Menin, who with his wife Fredelle, called St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, home for nearly forty years. He moved from club racing and winning a Rolex watch on his J/29, Magnum VI in the St. Thomas Yacht Club’s now named St. Thomas International Regatta and founding the Club’s International Optimist Regatta to becoming an internationally acclaimed umpire officiating at events like the America’s Cup and chairing the World Sailing Match Racing Committee. But, when the pandemic struck and Henin was stuck in his Pennsylvania condo, he picked up where he first started back in 1972 and penned his 529-page novel, Eric. It’s the fictional story of a young man coming of age a half-century ago and moving from no sailing experience to the pinnacle of the sport. Eric is a fantastic, entertaining, and inspiring read for anyone with a love of sailboat racing through their veins.
“For me, this book is mostly about relationships and how a kid finds his way out of his traditional background through sailing, how he fits in this new world that he discovers, and how he develops from childhood through to manhood. Sailing is the vehicle that sustains the various stories and connects them,” says Menin. “I think sailors will find the learning and training processes of this kid to be thoughtful and possibly reminiscent of their own experiences.”
Eric is available for sale on Amazon Books. www.amazon.com
