Ida Lewis is a regatta [the U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship for the Ida Lewis Trophy] named after America’s most celebrated female lighthouse keeper. Ida Lewis was the daughter of a former lighthouse keeper, who eventually took over his lighthouse and went on to save the lives of 18 people in the waters off Newport, RI. This annual regatta, sailed in Club 420s, is dedicated to her bravery and stands to encourage teenage female sailors from all over the country to continue on with their sailing adventures.

Every one of the 80 girls who attended the regatta was hosted in Hingham, MA by a warmly welcoming family for the duration of the event including a clinic that preceded the regatta. On Friday, June 25, all the girls dropped their over-packed suitcases at the Hingham Yacht Club and headed to the public beach to unload and unpack boats. Many teams came from the West Coast and had to charter boats. That night, everyone moved into their respective host houses; girls were always roomed with their skipper or crew.

If you are an Optimist or Laser sailor, the Dinghy Shop Fall Series in Amityville, NY is an excellent opportunity to extend your season, and Registration is now open. The Opti Series is six consecutive Sundays, starting September 19, with a harbor start at 1pm (the South Bay Sailing Center opens at noon). You can register per day, or if you register for the full series you can leave your boat at the Center for the duration of the series (your boat must have a cover and a dolly). This is the 13th year the Dinghy Shop has hosted the Fall Series, which is the largest of its kind in the nation.

Every year, the Dinghy Shop brings in guest speakers and coaches to work with the sailors to help enhance their racing knowledge. Parents can take a kayak out for a nominal fee to watch the races or sit on the sandy beach or watch from under the shade of the tent. One of the Sundays is the Mum Regatta, where each sailor receives a potted flower as a prize, and another Sunday is the famous Great Pumpkin Regatta, where each receives a pumpkin. The Opti Series concludes with a party with an awards ceremony, mystery prizes, plenty of food and lots of fun.

The Newport Bermuda Race is considered one the top three amateur ocean races in the world, along with the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Each of these offshore races has a course of similar length (608 nautical miles on the rhumb line for the Fastnet, 628 for Sydney Hobart and 635 for Newport Bermuda), and each offers challenging, often thrilling sailing. Only one, however, brings sailors to what is arguably the most beautiful destination in ocean racing.

We’ve compiled the following recollections of the 47th Newport Bermuda Race in an attempt to convey a sense of what makes the “Thrash to the Onion Patch” special.

From Hiro Nakajima, whose Swan 43 Classic Hiro Maru (Stamford YC) finished 5th in Class 1 (under IRC): For me, this year’s Bermuda Race was the most pleasant of the past five races that I have been associated with...beautiful sunsets, good breeze and a reasonably calm Gulf Stream. My Swan 43 close reaching with a jib top and full or reefed main for almost two and a half days was just a beautiful sight. It makes up for all those previous races where we had nasty weather and Maytag washing machine Gulf Stream. Sign me up for 2012.

The 28th Knickerbocker Cup, hosted by the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club in Port Washington, NY, will take place on August 25-29. The Knickerbocker Cup is a qualifier for the World Match Racing Tour, with the winner gaining an automatic entry to the Argo Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious match racing events on the Tour. Twelve teams from around the world have been invited to compete in the 2010 Knickerbocker Cup, which will again be sailed in Colgate 26s.

The international line-up of match racing teams from around the world has shaped up to provide exciting racing on Manhasset Bay, located in western Long Island Sound. Reuben Corbett (NZL), the 2009 Knickerbocker Champion, will be back to defend his title. Nipping at his heels will be Evgeniy Neugodnikov (RUS), a newcomer to the Knickerbocker Cup, who came close to upending Corbett in the finals in a tight duel to the finish at the Sail of the White Nights, a Grade 1 match race held in St Petersburg Russia. Corbett prevailed and won entry into the STENA Swedish Match Race, fifth stop on the World Match Race Tour. Phil Robertson (NZL), third in 2009, blasted through the preliminary rounds at the Slovenia Cup, only to lose out to Neugodnikov in the finals.

A race to two parties, a weekend yacht club cruise, a good reason to get on your boat and go; Expressly for Fun is all of these and more. For the ninth year in a row, Huguenot Yacht Club in New Rochelle, NY ran an event that drew family crews, husband and wife crews and multi-generational crews. As the name implies, the racing was fun, the dinners were fun and the new fundraiser was tons of fun.

Stamford Yacht Club in Stamford, CT was a terrific destination, and with word having spread beyond the sailing community, ten powerboats from Huguenot joined the party. Sail Magazine has sponsored the regatta for five years and their logo is engraved on the solid silver perpetual trophy.

The 3rd Annual Mudhead Benefit Cup for Hospice Southeastern Connecticut on Saturday, July 17 lived up to its fast growing “Mega Party” reputation. Fifty-seven boats, over 550 partiers and an estimated $45,000 raised highlighted a day of racing and a night of dancing. The racing on Fishers Island Sound drew boats from 21 to 42 feet in ten classes, sailing on three racing circles under sunny skies with southwesterly breezes.

Under the Sperry Top-Sider tent at Mystic Shipyard in Mystic, CT, the Rock n’ Soul Revue filled the night with great tunes, while plenty of food and 25 gallons of rum combined to fill the bellies of sailors and non sailors alike. Thirty skippers went home with trophies, a dozen more with raffle prizes, and Mike Cavanaugh won a 60-foot slip at Seaport Marine in the live auction.

The 3rd Annual Fundraising Wellness Cup Distance Race will be held Saturday, October 2, starting at 10am off Branford Harbor, CT. Why race in the Wellness Cup? Just ask the captains!

“For those who have wondered about distance racing but didn’t want the complications and risks of an overnight race, the Wellness Cup is a great way to test your skills. The longer legs of this race offer different challenges than the typical ‘round the buoys’ race, so I see it as a way for my crew and me to gain new and valuable experience. Even more importantly, the Wellness Cup raises money for a worthwhile cause!” — Dave Nauber, Frers 33 Wolverine