So, this month we whip-saw back to an action shot on the cover. Last month’s delightful capture of kids making memories with a great instructor (we got a number of calls looking for the builder of her coach boat) was very popular. But now it’s time to report on a lot of high-test racing action that took place while they were playing sponge tag. This month’s cover shows a glimpse of a new class that we cover in an article this month…and trust me, these boats are rarely further apart than in that shot. But we also touch on perennials like the CJ Buckley Regatta and the Buzzards Bay Regatta, where hundreds of you competed in hundreds of races. As we say in one photo caption, we’re not aware of other regattas in the Northeast (or perhaps anywhere else) that have three kiteboard divisions! Judging by the very large numbers for the CJ and the mix of traditional classes and innovative cats, tris and other foiling craft at the BBR, the racing portion of our sport seems to be bursting with opportunities.
I had really big plans for the IC37 article in this month’s issue. I interviewed two private owners (a third one and I tried but could never connect), a couple charterers, the unlucky guy who is managing the charter program for the New York Yacht Club, two commodores, the class president and his partner in crime who founded the effort, and of course Harry Melges. A huge Thank You to everyone, but as you’ll see, nobody’s actually quoted in the article. The good news is, they all had great things to say! Even the charter program manager, who has twenty “clients” and more lining up for next year, reports that despite some confusion about things that are really IC37 Class issues and not NYYC charter program issues, racers were “very satisfied” at the end of the day. So, enjoy my abridged edition of what’s going on. To do these folks and their effort justice would’ve required a New Yorker-length piece (5,000 to 7,000 words, with no photos), and that’s just not our thing here at WindCheck.
In other news, it’s boat show season again and that means our Classified section doubles in size and all of the local vendors and craftsmen that we depend on to take care of our boats do some advertising to remind you that the fall is a much better time than the spring to work on the boat! And how true this is. I mean, wouldn’t you rather be chartering or racing down south in the spring than worrying about the half-remembered list of fixes you had fresh in your mind in September? So peruse their ads, find a new boat if necessary, and as you enjoy the tail end of summer, jot down some items to be tackled before the cover goes on.
Lastly, Editor-in-Chief Zep has a few words on a tragedy that our columnists also comment on inside.
I’d like to dedicate this issue of WindCheck to Sandra Tartaglino, a catamaran sailor respected for her formidable prowess on the racecourse and loved for the delicious brownies she baked and shared with everyone at countless regattas. I met Sandra at the very first New England 100 in 1990, and remember her as a friendly and enthusiastic competitor…and a much, much better sailor than me! Sandra, I hope you’re flying a hull across heaven.
Publisher
Benjamin V. Cesare
ben@windcheckmagazine.com
