Author: Chris Szepessy

By Susan Ryan and Donald Peterson The United States Power Squadron (USPS) was founded in 1914 by Rear Commodore John Upton of the Boston Yacht Club, author Charles F. Chapman and others to formalize the education and training of civilian boaters, and it grew into the nation’s foremost recreational boating organization. How they chose the name is an interesting tale going back to 1912 when Upton organized a select group of “gasoliners” as the first power-driven sail…

With a family tradition of maritime trades, a passion for small marine business and a dedication to Newport, Rhode Island’s working waterfront, Teak Ackman is the founder and president of Seven Star Marine Engineering. “I had the privilege of growing up in Newport and working in the family business, Oldport Marine Services,” Teak recalls. “When I was 7 or 8, my folks found a little fiberglass Skimmar dinghy that I could keep across the street from our…

Paul L. Roberti shot this photo of Will Welles and crew Zeke Horowitz, Jake Doyle and Reed Baldridge sailing in the J/70 class at the 2019 Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta, hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club in Coconut Grove, FL March 3 – 9. Posting a 4-2-13-14-10-7-5-2 scoreline, Scamp finished fourth in the 33-boat fleet. A two-time J/24 World Champion and four-time J/24 North American Champion, Welles lives with his wife Katie and daughter Annika in…

By Stephen Zwarg Saturday, March 30 was a beautiful early spring day for the “frostbiting” Corinthians and guests at Mystic Seaport Museum’s Community Sailing Center on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT. With the temperature in the 50s, no wool hats or gloves were necessary! What kind of frostbiting is this? There were no complaints from the competitors, and the sailing conditions, SE to S winds from 5 to 12 knots, were ideal for the Museum’s fleet…

By Jim Arnemann Each year, the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, NY and the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, MD enter boats in the Around Long Island Regatta (ALIR) and similar races in order to train their midshipmen in the challenges of the sea. The USMMA has been participating in the ALIR for close to 30 years and the USNA is just slightly behind them with about 20 races. These service…

Editor’s note: This interview is the third in a series we’re planning for each issue of WindCheck leading up to the 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada, which will be sailed March 6 – 21, 2021 in Auckland, New Zealand. This month we’re checking in with a member of the challenger’s design team, a talented engineer who’s a graduate of both MIT and the Oakcliff Sailing Sapling Program. WindCheck: Where did you grow up, and how old…

By Laura Beigel Sailors and enthusiasts alike gathered at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT on Tuesday, March 12 for the first MudRatz fundraiser of the year where “Chief Executive MudRat” Brandon Flack announced the donation of two keelboats to the organization and its new initiatives for youth sailors. The evening, billed as “Charlie & Sam: Stories and Surprises,” featured a special presentation by The Ocean Race (formerly the Volvo Ocean Race) skipper Charlie Enright…

Foiling is the hottest thing in sailing right now, and our friends at Sail Black Rock in Bridgeport, CT and Oakcliff Sailing in Oyster Bay, NY have teamed up with WindCheck to present a unique writing contest with perhaps the most exciting prize in the history of youth sailing!   The winning essay will appear in an upcoming issue of WindCheck (No, that’s not the prize), and the author will receive a scholarship for a one-week Oakcliff…

By Caspar Craven Published by Adlard Coles Nautical, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc   306 pages   hardcover   $25 In 2009, with two kids in diapers and a third on the way, Caspar Craven and his wife Nichola hatched a plan to sail around the world. Although Caspar was an experienced yachtsman with a ‘round-the-world race under his belt, Nichola had never sailed out of sight of land. And they did not own a boat. Taking out a…

By Emma Bamford Published by Adlard Coles Nautical, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, Plc   310 pages   paperback   $15     Our introduction to author, journalist and sailor Emma Bamford was her first book, Casting Off (our review is archived at windcheckmagazine.com). Her ‘fairly normal life’ as a reporter in London was boring, working 80 hours a week was stressful, and her love life was non-existent. Answering a ‘crew wanted’ ad on the internet, she decided to take…