Letters

Ben, I am pleased to see the focus on women in sailing that WindCheck has been doing, and a monthly bio is an excellent way to share. As a Past Commodore of the Beverly Yacht Club, I can say we have focused on women in sailing for decades with very active learn to sail and racing programs. Women also race twice a week in H12s and Bullseyes.  I also enjoyed Coop’s interview with Sara Stone, a very…

Hello WindCheck, William Strassberg’s article, and intro by Ralph Naranjo (April 2022; windcheckmagazine.com/article/when-the-wind-is-howling-i-am-thankful-for-our-culture-of-safety/), was a delight. While not new to the ideas (I was Ralph’s editor for The Art of Seamanship), I was thrilled to see them in WindCheck.  My hope is that crews of all sorts initiate these conversations—especially those on board that might not always feel they have experience or knowledge. An onboard culture that values curiosity and suggestions is a safer environment, with the caveat that…

Dear WindCheck, Kudos to your fine magazine, editor Chris Szepessy and contributor Rick Bannerot for chronicling the trend of young sailors pursuing coastal and offshore sailing. The experiences, lessons, comradery and pure enjoyment of being offshore are compelling drivers. All that is needed to inspire sailors is access to them. The source of the Figaro 2s chartered by Stamford and Noroton Yacht Clubs and so spectacularly portrayed on the cover of the March issue is the Collegiate…

(Editor’s note: In our October issue, we presented the first part of an interview with Charles “Butch” Ulmer (“75 Years of UK Sailmakers’). The article, which can be found at windcheckmagazine.com/article/75-years-of-uk-sailmakers/, contained a bit of erroneous information on the subject of accidental puncture wounds sustained by sail loft handworkers. Dear Ben, First, thank you for making me a household name in the Long Island Sound sailing world. I’ve never gotten so much press. Second, somewhere in our…

Style Over Safety? Dear Sir/Madam, Looking at the “stylish pinnies” in your March 2021 edition (“MudRatz Ready to Rock!” windcheckmagazine.com/article/mudratz-ready-to-rock/), I wonder about the choice of life jacket color. Almost looks like they are designed to be a camouflage in the water. A couple of years ago, while crewing on a boat my friend’s wife fell off during a knockdown. Being petite she was a little difficult to see in the water because of her dark clothing. We did recover her safely after…

Ho Sailors! I picked up WindCheck in Belfast, Maine this fall and am still amazed by the range and variety of your articles. Fascinating stuff, even for someone with limited sailing experience. Keep it up! Jackie Barchilon, via email Jackie – Thank you for the kind words. It’s our goal to deliver engaging a read to all those who enjoy the waters of the Northeast, and our crew strives to make each issue better than the one before. —…

I read the On Watch piece about my friend Sheila McCurdy yesterday, which brought back many memories of the early 1970s, Sheila, and her father, Jim. John Rousmaniere will remember the gang of extraordinary offshore sailors at Cold Spring Harbor Beach Club in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Sheila was immersed in offshore sailing as a young woman, even from the outside, and she had a sailing sister in Cold Spring Harbor, in Susan Noyes, daughter of David Noyes,…

Dear Plank-on-Frame sailors in the Opera House Cup, We are writing to you for two reasons. First, we’d like to encourage you to register for this year’s Opera House Cup on Sunday, August 16. Registration is now open at operahousecup.org. Most of you have been with us in recent years, but some of you have been away, and we would love to have you back. The soul of the race is with the owners such as you,…

Test Your Metal Editor’s note: As discerning readers know, Coop’s Corner comprises some of the finest writing to be found in any sailing media. Contributing Editor Joe Cooper’s monthly musings are always entertaining (for best results, read Coop’s Corner by the light of a brass hurricane lamp), and the column in our November/December 2019 edition (entitled “If” – online at windcheckmagazine.com/article/if/ in case you missed it) is classic Coop. Dear Mr. Cooper, I read WindCheck every chance…

Breathing new life into a vintage regatta I have been a member of the Storm Trysail Club since 1980 and have sailed in upwards of 20 Block Island Race Weeks. As I’ve grown up in sailing – and the STC – I’ve watched and experienced the evolution of BIRW: the size, caliber, and enthusiasm of the people attending. Up until just a few years ago, BIRW was sponsored by a luxury timepiece manufacturer and, for those years,…