WindCheck Magazine That’s a lot of fun!

Well, it was only mid-July when I wrote this, and there had already been an epic amount of ‘big boat’ racing and other events in the Northeast. Annuals like the Block Island Race, then Marion Bermuda, followed by a very well promoted and executed Block Island Race Week (as we all should be aware by now…Presented by Margaritaville!), then Larchmont Race Week #121, then the Sail Newport Regatta followed by the 175th Anniversary Regatta by New York Yacht Club also in Newport. And more than twenty 12 Metres raced in Newport for 18 days (with four or more practice days too) from mid-June into July…the largest ever gathering of these beauties in North America! Oh, and there was a fantastic WoodenBoat Show at Mystic Seaport Museum, and the first of three events in the Herreshoff S Class 100th Anniversary celebration was completed. And there were a bunch of waterfront festivals from Huntington to Falmouth. I know some people that have volunteered in running most of the above in some capacity.

Think for a moment how many people are involved in running these events. It has to number above a thousand, not including professionals (and bless them, too!). Are there any other sports where a thousand people give their time so that tens of thousands of participants can enjoy themselves? Be sure to thank these folks when you see them…again and again! We cover much of the action in this issue, but not all due to deadlines.

We thought our cover this month should give a nod to taking a breath and enjoying the remains, as it were. Sure, there are Junior Olympic Regattas, classic yacht events, the Buzzards Bay Regatta, the Fools’ Rules Regatta, and plenty of other stuff on the calendar before September. But that will all go by in a blink if we let it. So, before the family vacation, grab some of these evenings or even some afternoons to get on the water during the week. Maybe help run a giant game of on the water Ultimate Sailing Frisbee with your local junior program. The directions are on page 36.