"Adolph would have a hint of a smile on his face, no more; Esther might break into a real grin. No one minded, and we all, soon enough, realized it wasn't the boat that was faster, it was Adolph."
– Everett Rattray, The East Hampton Star, 1977

Adolph and Esther Gottlieb usually spent their summers near the ocean. From the 1930s through the mid-1950s this meant either Cape Ann or Provincetown, Massachusetts.

By the 1940s, Gottlieb had become a regular competitor in small sailboat races. Below are a few of the items that Adolph kept over the years commemorating both his skill and his love of sailing. 

In 1960, the Gottliebs bought a house in East Hampton about 100 yards from the Atlantic.

In a 1977 issue of the East Hampton Star, Everett Rattray commemorated "Gottlieb's genius to be able to focus on the task at hand, sailing his boat, while registering those maritime images with what Hess called 'a pilot's understanding.'“