Checking In

US Sailing presented its annual national awards at the 2023 Sailing Leadership Forum in St. Pete Beach, FL on February 4. The Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association and Junior Sailing Association of Long Island Sound were well represented among the honorees. Excellence in Instruction – Annie Longo (Groton, CT) This year’s recipient and currently ECSA’s Junior Chairperson, Annie Longo has been an ECSA instructor, race coach, and head instructor at junior sailing programs since 2014. She’s worked at Wadawanuck Club,…

Our friends at Zim Sailing in Bristol, RI have announced a multi-year partnership as the exclusive importer and distributor of the Fighter Optimist Dinghy in North America. Zim Sailing, a subsidiary of Starting Line Sailing, Inc. and the largest small sailboat manufacturer and distributor in North America, adds the Fighter to its range as a top-of-the-line Race Opti. Built in Poland by Slawomir Baranowski, the Fighter Opti is used widely on the European racing circuit, including by…

After a hiatus, one of our favorite events has found a new home as the CT Sea Music Fest drops anchor in Essex, CT the weekend of June 9 – 12. Free weekend festivities at venues around the village include a Symposium on the Music of the Sea, daytime workshops, a parade, a family stage, demonstrations of sailor skills, a Sunday morning revival-style hymn sing, and late night Chantey Sings in the historic Griswold Inn! Main stage evening…

Coboaters Bash is March 30 Our friends at Rhode Island Billiard, Bar & Bistro in North Providence, RI and Coboaters, the North America crew finder club, are co-hosting a sailors’ gathering on Thursday, March 30 from 7 to 9 pm. “If you love sailing and hail from anywhere between Boston and Block Island, come join the second winter only event of this small group of sailors, craving the social aspect of race weeks and yacht club-style fun,” said…

Our friends at the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, RI are thrilled to announce their 11th Annual Frostbite Bash on Saturday, March 25. They’ve been hosting the biggest and best bash of the winter for a decade, and with Pella Windows & Doors as Presenting Sponsor they’re not stopping! The evening (6 to 11 pm) features live music, oyster bar & open bars, photo booth & entertainment, dancing in the Hall of Boats, silent auction & raffles,…

The Whaler’s Race, hosted by New Bedford Yacht Club in South Dartmouth, MA, kicks off the New England offshore sailing season on Saturday June 3, serving as a great warm p race to start a busy summer distance race calendar. Positioned on the calendar in front of Edgartown Race Week and the Marion Bermuda Race, this PHRF ocean race has courses set in the waters of Buzzards Bay, Vineyard Sound, Rhode Island Sound, and the open ocean…

Things are cranking up for the 7th Connecticut Spring Boat Show, taking place April 28-30, 2023 at Safe Harbor Essex Island in Essex, CT. A number of new features have been added. First, boat inventory is back! Organizers are anticipating double the number of boats from last year. In addition to boats on the docks, great bands including Wooly Mammoth, Soundwave, The Vitas, and The Fake Experience will be on tap. Also on tap, Surfridge Brewing East…

The Ocean Race makes its only North American stopover in Newport, RI this spring. This free 9-day festival (May 11 – 21 at Fort Adams State Park) is hosted by Sail Newport, The State of Rhode Island, and 11th Hour Racing. Race boats are expected to arrive in Newport from Itajai, Brazil on or close to May 10. The “Ocean Live Park” is accessible to the public every day. Visitors can see the race boats up close at…

Organizers of Charleston Race Week are excited to announce a new venue for the Regatta Village, coming up April 20-23, on the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, SC, close to Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina. A mixture of history and modernity, the Yorktown is one of the most beautifully unique event venues in Charleston, offering unparalleled views of Charleston Harbor and the city skyline from the flight deck. On Saturday night, the popular PRO-AM…

After the pandemic prohibited the running of the Marion Bermuda Race in 2021, our friends on the committee got to work immediately on improving the 23rd edition of this biennial classic, which starts June 16, 2023.     “First, we created a new class called the Performance Class,” said event chair Ray Cullum. “This new class will be for boats that have an ORR rating of 1.000 and above. They may also have more modern enhancements such…