© Peter M. Budraitis Photography
A longtime sailor and enthusiastic member of Sea Cliff Yacht Club in Sea Cliff, New York, Shana Spanier-Ciniski chairs the Around Long Island Regatta (ALIR), a challenging near-circumnavigation of the largest and longest island in the contiguous United States.
“I grew up in Long Island and my father had a Grampian 30 for a while, then went to an Albin trawler,” says Shana, who lives in Glen Cove. “Starting at age eight, I spent many summers at a sailing camp in Cape Cod learning in old gaff-rigged boats until my family joined Sea Cliff Yacht Club in 1979, where I did two more years of sailing on a Blue Jay named Red Baron. I remember my first regatta. I had no clue what I was doing, but didn’t care. I took home a trophy that day…there were only three boats in the fleet! Great memory, and I was hooked!
“Besides being a member when I was young, I re-joined SCYC in 2012 with my family and enrolled my son, at that time age eight, in the same sailing program I did years earlier. I have been an active SCYC member from the start, and I’m currently the Vice Commodore.”
Shana has helmed the ALIR for three years. “The race is unique and challenging right from the start in New York Harbor. We have teams from many different yacht clubs and agencies (SCYC, Liberty Yacht Club, Manhattan Yacht Club, U.S. Coast Guard, FDNY Fireboats, etc.) that help racers negotiate pre-start maneuvers race in the very busy harbor, ensuring a safe and spectacular start while keeping clear of ferries and commercial traffic. After the start, the ALIR Committee works 24/7 for four days until the last boat finishes, hopefully on Sunday. Competitors finish any time of day or night, so the finish boat remains on station just off the Glen Cove breakwater for three full days, manned by member volunteers who also staff the regatta desk. Our clubhouse is open to all the sailors that come ashore at any time, with hot food and beverages available. We run the ALIR as a very tight “ship.” The ALIR committee is extremely dedicated and talented. You wouldn’t know we are such a relatively small club when we host an event that has been running for nearly fifty years!
“The ALIR was founded by Sea Cliff YC and the original race, which ran from 1977 to 2016, had a 190-nautical mile course that started off Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. The elapsed time record on that course was set in 2010 by George David’s Rambler with a time of 15 hours, 42 minutes, and 4 seconds. Since 2017, the course has expanded to 207 nautical miles. In the seven years at that length, the elapsed time record is 22 hours, 51 minutes, 57 seconds set by Oakcliff Sailing’s Numbers in 2018.
“This year, for the first time in the race’s history, two courses will be offered—the traditional 207-mile ALIR course, and now, the 250-mile Around the Islands course. This new course will allow the most intrepid of the fleet the opportunity to sail around both Long Island and Block Island, creating the longest distance race of any regatta between Annapolis and Newport. For sailors who truly enjoy being out on the water, this course gives them more of what they want. And for sailors who enjoy the physical and mental test of long-distance sailing, or who are preparing for races like the Newport Bermuda Race, this new course is the perfect venue for them to test their resilience and seamanship. We’ll see who can set some records on it!”
ALIR 2025 will see the addition of new tracking as well as an onboard photo award. “A feature of the world’s most prestigious regattas including the Vendee Globe and Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, we’re proud to offer an exciting new opportunity for friends and family to more easily track their favorite crews utilizing YB Trackers in 2025,” says Shana. “The stories onboard are meant to be shared. We want to encourage skippers and crews to create core memories and share their stories from the racecourse. Sea Cliff Yacht Club is sponsoring a new trophy and exciting new prize for the best onboard photo taken during the race, which will be selected at the discretion of the race organizers from photos shared by crews on the ALIR Instagram page.”
A staple of the Long Island Sound summer regatta circuit for almost half a century, the ALIR takes sailors 90.917% of the way around the largest and longest island in the Lower 48. The race is open to all sailboats 26 feet and longer and sailors of all levels.
The 48th Around Long Island Regatta takes place the weekend of July 24 – 27. The event is sponsored by Safe Harbor Glen Cove, Liberty Landing Marina, Goslings, New England Yacht Rigging, PhotoBoat.com. Samuel Adams, Wolffer Estate Vineyard, Golden-Eye Construction and Seafarer Canvas & Interiors, among many others. For more information and to register, visit alir.org.
“As a member of Sea Cliff Yacht Club, my son and I have enjoyed quite a few different daysailers over the past ten years,” says Shana. “My husband unfortunately gets seasick on a dock, so we don’t have larger family boat at this time. There are so many great things about sailing. It’s quite a unique combination of feeling connected to nature, relaxing, and being actively engaged with the wind and waves. Sailing allows us to escape the hustle of everyday life and explore new places and wonderful people, all while enjoying fresh air and beautiful scenery. I’m lucky to be with such a wonderful sailing and boating community at Sea Cliff Yacht Club, and enjoy every moment with our friends on the water!” ■
