Years later, he's the man inviting others to join him. "My message for Latinos is - you belong. You work hard, you make your money, you belong," Sandoval said. And if you can't afford a yacht, Sandoval said the club has children's programs and scholarships. Boy Scouts exposed him to the water when he was a child growing up on Chicago's South Side. "Learning to sail, getting my merit badge in route to becoming an Eagle Scout fundamentally changed my life," he said of his boating career. Sandoval is the son of Mexican immigrants whose parents saw his sailing success. He has won the Race to Mackinaw eight times on his boat - Karma, and his name is engraved on several trophies at the yacht club.