Ship’s Log

EDGARTOWN, MASS. (July 2, 2020) – The Edgartown Yacht Club has cancelled the buoy racing segment of its annual Edgartown Race Weekend; however, it will still host the 82ndrunning of its signature ‘Round-the-Island (’RTI) race on August 1 in addition to the newer ‘Round-the-Sound (’RTS) event the same day. The ’RTI, which began in 1938 and counts as one of America’s oldest distance races, tracks 56 nautical miles around Martha’s Vineyard, while the ’RTS, inaugurated in 2018, gives…

      The most enduring event in North American sailing got off to an inauspicious start on July 16, 1846. Beset by light air, Louis Depau’s 44-ton sloop Mist was the only one of 14 starters to finish the first race of the New York Yacht Club’s inaugural Annual Regatta. A second race, two days later, proved more successful with Commodore John Cox Stevens’ Gimcrack taking line honors and Hornet, owned by A. Barker, winning on…

Double-Handed Racing and Friendly Fun Will Have Renewed Emphasis By Barby MacGowan, MediaPro International The annual Ida Lewis Distance Race, scheduled for its 16th edition starting Saturday, August 15, has announced that Jeanneau America is the event’s new Presenting Partner. The news comes on the heels of the race changing its start date from Friday to Saturday to better accommodate an inclusive weekend schedule and coincides with other exciting changes for the event, including a Mixed (co-ed) Double-Handed class added…

Since 1990, the New England 100 has been a main summer event for multihull sailors.  A “mini Worrell 1000,” the 100 provides a great test of speed, skill, and toughness covering 100 miles over two days on Narragansett Bay.  The regatta is open to all non-singlehanded beach catamarans and race organizers have been following the current guidelines for hosting events closely.  Sail Newport in Newport, Rhode Island will host the 31st Annual New England 100 on August 15 &…

Editor’s note: The appeal letter below is from our friend Curt Johnson, President of Save the Sound. Dear members of the WindCheck Community, When you look out on the waters of Long Island Sound, do you trust that someone is taking care of this precious resource? Do you trust that there is someone finding and fixing pollution, and working with citizens all around the Sound to protect the waters you hold dear? That person is your Soundkeeper…

As we noted in an earlier Ship’s Log post, our friend Tom Darling, a lifelong sailor and sailing author who wanted to combine the history and the romance and the genealogy of great vintage boats, has launched Conversations with Classic Boats, a podcast about classic boat designs and the stories behind them. Premiering May 6 with Episode 1 on the Herreshoff Newport 29, Dolphin, “the winningest boat sailing our waters today,” the series of 30-minute podcasts invites…

Our friends at Clean Ocean Access (COA) in Middletown, Rhode Island have announced that their annual Paddle for Access event, originally scheduled for Saturday, August 15 on Narragansett Bay, will be online-only this year. “Another way we are working to achieve our Access goals is celebrating the 50 rights-of-way on Aquidneck Island with Paddle for Access,” said Garrett Russ, COA’s Development Coordinator. “To keep our public access ways available and safe for everyone, our Paddle for Access…

It is with great sadness that we report that our friend Howard McMichael, Jr. died at the age of 82 on Tuesday, June 2. Howie, as he was known to family and friends, suffered a stroke on Thursday, May 28, from which he never recovered. Howard McMichael, Jr. was the longtime leader of and inspiration for McMichael Yacht Yards & Brokers, having taken over the company from his father, Howard McMichael, Sr., upon Howie’s return from serving…

Free Admission May 23-29 Our friends at Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut have announced that the Museum of America and the Sea will reopen to the public on Saturday, May 23. To celebrate the occasion and to thank the community for its support of the Museum during its closure, admission will be free May 23-29. Visitors will be welcome to explore the grounds, including the historic village and gardens, the shipyard, and the Mystic River waterfront….

Editor’s note:  Here’s a message about a new doublehanded “pick-up game” race from our friend Adam Loory: Fellow Doublehanded Social Distance Racers, Saturday’s race is coming together and the weather looks like it will cooperate. Below is a list of the 21 boats that have told me they will be sailing on Saturday, May 23 for our race around Stratford Shoal. The fleet will be divided into two classes. Class 1 has boats rating 66 and slower….