What’s New

First action by Foundation for Underway Experiential Learning (FUEL) is to complete repairs to the historic vessel at Mystic Seaport Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard Vineyard Haven, MA: Before dawn on Saturday, November 7, the iconic tall ship SHENANDOAH slid out of Vineyard Haven (Martha’s Vineyard) harbor with assistance from the tugboat THUBAN beginning the next chapter in the life of this 57-year old ship. Captains Billy Mabie, a former mate on SHENANDOAH, and Fred Murphy,…

(From an Undisclosed Location, November 11, 2020) –  For almost eight decades, a “moosechievious” society of sailboat racers called the “International Society for the Perpetuation of Cruelty to Racing Yachtsmen” (ISPCRY) has recognized both excellence in Race Committee work in Long Island Sound, as well as gaffes that will “live in infamy”. Affectionately known (or not-so-affectionately, depending on which end of the moose you’re on!) as the Moosehead Committee, the group convenes at the end of each…

Plymouth, Massachusetts (October 30, 2020) – Plimoth Patuxet Museums (formerly Plimoth Plantation) is proud to announce that Mayflower II, its historic tall ship, has been named to the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of the Nation’s historic structures and places worthy of preservation. “This recognition affirms that Mayflower II is a unique and irreplaceable historic resource significant to the Commonwealth and the Nation,” said Ellie Donovan, Executive Director of Plimoth Patuxet Museums. “We are…

Today is launch day for Episode 04 of Conversations with Classic Boats, a podcast produced by our friend and longtime WindCheck contributor Tom Darling. This installment is entitled “Man and their Dinghies.” “This is our sixth month on air,” says Tom,  and what a six months that has been.  When we started Conversations with Classic Boats in May of this year, in the teeth of the pandemic, we assumed we would be touring regatta sites and interviewing fortunate owners…

Auckland, New Zealand – New York Yacht Club American Magic, the U.S. Challenger for the 36th America’s Cup, completed its first sailing session onboard the newly launched AC75 PATRIOT in Auckland’s Waitematā Harbor. After a 9:00 AM christening event on Friday, October 16 at the team’s base in the Wynyard Quarter, the team engaged in an afternoon of dockside testing. At 4:30 PM in flat-calm conditions, the dark blue AC75 was pulled up onto its foils by a chase boat and towed at…

Martha’s Vineyard Nonprofit raising funds for much needed repairs. After fifty-seven years at the helm of his iconic schooner Shenandoah, Captain Robert S. Douglas and his family have announced their intention to pass down Captain Douglas’ beloved ship to the Foundation for Underway Experiential Learning (FUEL). Based in Vineyard Haven, MA, FUEL is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by two of Douglas’ protégés, Captain Ian Ridgeway and Captain Casey Blum, LCSW. “Sailing Shenandoah is what I wanted to do with my…

LARCHMONT, N.Y. – With so many colleges restricting organized sports and travel, the Organizing Committee of The Storm Trysail Club’s 2020 Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta (IOR) has reluctantly been forced to cancel the almost 50 year-old event.  Ann Myer, Co-Chair for the event, expressed her disappointment. “Originally 50 schools had signed up, with 56 crews  ready to sail this year. We did everything we could as a committee to hold the event and to make it safe for all the…

There’s a change of watch at one of the best companies in sailing, with longtime employees acquiring ownership of Harken. “Throughout the years, Olaf and I have been approached by lots of good people interested in acquiring our business,” said co-founder Peter Harken.  “The way we decided was simple. We turned down every offer that didn’t present a brighter future for our people than we could create on our own.  We started this company to build the…

Auckland, New Zealand – New York Yacht Club American Magic, a Challenger for the 36th America’s Cup, took delivery of its second AC75 racing yacht at its Auckland base on Friday, September 4, 2020. The yacht is named Patriot, and will succeed the team’s current AC75, Defiant.  American Magic is expected to use the new boat to compete in three upcoming regattas: America’s Cup World Series Auckland (December 17-20, 2020), the Prada Cup (the Challenger Finals, January…

September 3, 2020  – Newport, RI – A new outright record was set Tuesday, September 1 for the  Around Jamestown Record. Jason Carroll’s Mod70 trimaran Argo completed their attempt around Jamestown with an elapsed time of 52 minutes and 2 seconds. This bests the previous record of 00:53:37, held by Zach Marks on a foiling kiteboard, by 1 minute and 35 seconds. The crew on Argo chose to sail the course around the island to starboard, sailing south from the…