March 2019

When you get ready to go frostbiting on a March day, a number of things hit you that are big pluses. The sun’s up for around seventy minutes longer, but it feels like hours compared to December. Birds are singing. Baseball has begun in Florida. Even though the water’s really cold, the sun actually works, so 35 degrees feels like 40 and 45 feels like 60! It is also a time of year when the breeze ranges…

I thought Adam Loory’s article (Teaching Old Sailors New Tricks; January/February 2019) regarding the concept of “Plus One” crew formats was great. I think the idea is fantastic. Brooks Ritchey, via email Brooks – Plus One (or Plus 1) is indeed a fantastic idea! As you know, Adam conceived this new shorthanded racing class as a solution to the problem of getting enough crew…and to make big boat racing fun again. In Adam’s words, “It also could…

The Connecticut Spring Boat Show will be held Friday, May 3 to Sunday, May 5 at Essex Island Marina, a Safe Harbor Marina, located at 11 Ferry Street in Essex, CT. This in-water “boutique” show is a production of WindCheck Magazine and is sponsored by Essex Island Marina, the Yacht Brokers Association of America, Essex Boat Works, Essex Steam Train & Riverboat, and YachtWorld. As in previous years, 100% of attendee gate proceeds will go to Sails…

Captain Alex Aalberg of TowBoatU.S. Mystic in Groton, CT received a Meritorious Service Award for a rescue in Fishers Island Sound last summer. Aalberg and five other captains of the on-water recreational boat-towing service were honored by their peers at a ceremony held at the annual BoatU.S. Towing Conference in Arlington, VA in January.   On a blustery afternoon in July, with waves from two to three feet and thunderstorms chasing down the Sound, the 72-year-old captain…

For a decade in the 1990s, Andrew Burton’s Adventure Sailing was one of the best ways for a coastal sailor to get offshore under somewhat controlled circumstances. The fleet of charter boats from Nautor’s Swan was sold off and Adventure Sailing went on hiatus, but Burton never stopped helping sailors on their own boats gain the confidence to make passages. Fast forward a decade and a half; Adventure Sailing is back. With his recently purchased and completely refit Baltic 47 Masquerade,…

Stonington Harbor Yacht Club (SHYC) in Stonington, CT has been named a Boaters’ Choice Award Winner by Marinas.com, the world’s most extensive online marine directory. This recognition places the club in the top 3% highest-rated marinas. “We are delighted to accept this award,” said Joseph Williams, incoming SHYC Commodore. “The credit goes to the beautiful town of Stonington and the dedicated staff and volunteers who are making Stonington Harbor Yacht Club one of the most desirable boating…

At the annual Peconic Bay Sailing Association (PBSA) winter holiday party last December, East End Youth Sailing and the Old Cove Youth Sailing Foundation, both based in Cutchogue, NY, each received checks for $1,500 to support their respective programs on Long Island’s North Fork. The funds were donated by the membership of PBSA with proceeds from their Whitebread 25 Regatta raffle and other fundraising activities. From left to right are Christopher and Daniel Kuehn representing East End…

An especially large number of individuals and organizations from the Northeast were recognized this year by US Sailing for their contributions to the sport of sailing in the United States. The organization’s 2018 Association Awards, Community Sailing Awards and One-Design Awards were presented during the National Sailing Programs Symposium (NSPS) in Jacksonville, FL in January. Association Award Winners Barbara & Thomas Farquhar of Marion, MA and St. Petersburg, FL, who have taught race management, judging and umpiring seminars…

By Gregor Tarjan It was a big day – with little wind. A typical scenario for a late spring day in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The crew of the very first McConaghy MC50 was excited to hoist the sails on their new boat for the very first time. At 15 tons fully loaded, the MC50 is by no means a racer, but no one would have anticipated what the crew was about to experience. It was to…

Presented by Samson Ropes Editor’s note: If the lines on your boat are ready for replacement, the variety of marine rope on the market can be bewildering. To help you make the right choices, our friends at Samson, the worldwide leader in high-performance rope, kindly shared these basic guidelines.   Accurately assess your working load. For sheets, halyards, or control lines, anticipated loads are considered working loads. Please note that halyard loads are best determined by your…