September 2020

This summer we saw junior program directors and instructors trying really hard to make their classes possible, never mind fun or normal. But as many have observed, this brought a lot of “old school” behaviors back into play, some of which have been called for, without a pandemic to force the situation. Fierce competition at regattas had to take a break this summer. I’m wondering how that will turn out. Will kids have (gulp!) lost a step…be…

Regattas aren’t the only things being cancelled these days; boat shows are being cancelled right and left. The reason is that the larger boat shows lack a way to present boats efficiently…and safely. McMichael Yacht Yards and Brokers have taken a fresh approach to their traditional Fall Boat Show by creating two weekends of by-appointment-only boat shows in their yards in Mamaroneck, NY. On September 19-20, McMichael will have its powerboat show featuring MJM Yachts. This event…

Since opening its doors on City Island, NY, in 1946 as Ulmer Sails, UK Sailmakers has been servicing sailors in the New York area and Long Island Sound with innovative new sail technology, tailored new sail purchasing advice, and a level of service that earned the company the highest customer ratings. UK Sailmakers has grown into one of the world’s most established sailmaking groups with nearly 50 lofts and service centers worldwide. That number got event bigger…

In Sporty Winds, Winds, Privateer, Zephyros, Masquerade, Warrior Won and Alchemist Win Trophies By Barby MacGowan, Media Pro International   A total of 65 boats started the 2020 Ida Lewis Distance Race presented by Jeanneau America on Saturday, August 15 in a building northeasterly that dished out 20-22 knots of breeze (and a few knock-down gusts) throughout most of the day and into the evening and overnight. By the time racing had finished for two offshore classes (IRC and PHRF Doublehanded)…

By Barby MacGowan, Media Pro International Photos by Stephen R Cloutier Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (Chilmark, MA) claimed the coveted Venona Trophy at Edgartown Race Weekend’s 82nd ‘Round-the-Island Race, sailing his classic Alden Cutter 44 Lark to win his class and post the best corrected time from among all entrants in the Spinnaker Division.   A of 46 boats competing in eight classes started and finished its circumnavigation of Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday, August 1. In…

By Nick Bowen   The Twenty Hundred Club had their fourth race of the season on Saturday, August 1. The second of the club’s two destination races, the Block Island Race starts just south of Rose Island near the G3 Gong, takes the sailors about 17.1 nautical miles (nm) south to buoy 1BI just north of Block Island. This mark is 3.5 nm north of the finish mark, R “2” at the entrance to New Harbor. The…

Pent Up Demand for Racing On Narragansett Bay By David Schwartz The Narragansett Bay Yachting Association (NBYA) held its largest event in more than a decade on Sunday, July 26, showing that sailors hunger for the chance to get out of their homes and enjoy racing safely on a beautiful day on the bay. The fleet ranged from a TP52 to a fifty-foot schooner built a hundred years ago. In between were sportboats, Herreshoff S Boats, and…

By Nick Bowen The Twenty Hundred Club had their third race of the season on Saturday, July 25. The first of the club’s two destination races, the Cuttyhunk Race starts just south of Rose Island near the “G3” Gong, and takes the sailors about four nautical miles (nm) south to buoy “R2” at Brenton Reef. This mark is about two nm south of Castle Hill and there the boats turn east for a 19.5 nm run across…

By David Dellenbaugh Your finishing strategy is a plan for how you will get to the finish line as quickly as possible in the absence of other boats. As you near the end of the race, you must make two major decisions: First, at which end of the line will you finish? Second, how will you maneuver your boat to cross the line? It is usually best to finish right at either end of the line. That’s…

Editor’s note: This article, from the JibeTalk blog and reprinted with the kind permission of our friends at the Junior Sailing Association of Long Island Sound, evokes great memories of our own junior sailing days. The summer of 2020 has been both a challenge and a different experience for our junior sailors. COVID-19 has brought with it the need for “social distancing,” masks, buffs, curtailment of some very large regatta experiences and a lot more. On the…