What’s New

There’s a change of watch at one of the best companies in sailing, with longtime employees acquiring ownership of Harken. “Throughout the years, Olaf and I have been approached by lots of good people interested in acquiring our business,” said co-founder Peter Harken.  “The way we decided was simple. We turned down every offer that didn’t present a brighter future for our people than we could create on our own.  We started this company to build the…

Auckland, New Zealand – New York Yacht Club American Magic, a Challenger for the 36th America’s Cup, took delivery of its second AC75 racing yacht at its Auckland base on Friday, September 4, 2020. The yacht is named Patriot, and will succeed the team’s current AC75, Defiant.  American Magic is expected to use the new boat to compete in three upcoming regattas: America’s Cup World Series Auckland (December 17-20, 2020), the Prada Cup (the Challenger Finals, January…

September 3, 2020  – Newport, RI – A new outright record was set Tuesday, September 1 for the  Around Jamestown Record. Jason Carroll’s Mod70 trimaran Argo completed their attempt around Jamestown with an elapsed time of 52 minutes and 2 seconds. This bests the previous record of 00:53:37, held by Zach Marks on a foiling kiteboard, by 1 minute and 35 seconds. The crew on Argo chose to sail the course around the island to starboard, sailing south from the…

Our friend and longtime WindCheck contributor Tom Darling has released the third episode of his excellent Conversations with Classic Boats podcast. In “Model Classic Instant Classic,” Tom brings us something old and something brand new” with a look at “sailing gone small: the DragonFlite 95 radio controlled model yacht and the growing popularity of “radio-sailing.” “Model boats have captivated serious sailors for centuries,” says Tom. “From the 1920s to today, model yachting in vintage wooden craft has become…

Our friends at the New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS) in Stonington, Connecticut have announced this year’s winning artists for their statewide calendar drawing contest entitled “Long Island Sound and Its Watershed: What It Means to Me.” The annual drawing contest is open to all Connecticut students currently in Grades K-6. Aoi Furube, a student at the Greenwich Japanese School in Greenwich, Connecticut was named the overall winner. Aoi’s artwork will be featured on the cover…

Mystic, Conn. (August 26, 2020) — Mystic Seaport Museum will present its 2020 America and the Sea Award to Tom Whidden, one of the most applauded sailors of all time, member of both the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and the National Sailing Hall of Fame, and president and CEO of North Technology Group, parent company of North Sails. The prestigious award recognizes those individuals and organizations whose extraordinary achievements in the world of maritime exploration, competition, scholarship, and design best…

Wilmington, DE, August 27 – How do you plan for an ocean voyage on the Tall Ship of Delaware during a pandemic? This week Kalmar Nyckel is voyaging from Wilmington, Delaware for the first ocean voyage of 2020, with a small but mighty crew of 16 officers and volunteers who just completed a two-week quarantine to safely voyage to Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. The ship is going to “dry dock” which means it will be…

Newport, Rhode Island, August 14 – After thirteen days at sea, 11th Hour Racing Team have arrived home to Newport after a successful delivery from Concarneau, France. Their refurbished 60-foot monohull, skippered by Charlie Enright (Bristol, RI), slipped into Fort Adams just after 0830 ET this morning. The Atlantic crossing has been a dual opportunity for the team to test the boat and new foil after an extended refit in France due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as…

Newport, RI  – All Hands Alliance, a nonprofit worldwide community that will inspire a grassroots effort among boaters and water-sports enthusiasts to clean up the oceans and waterways, has officially launched. The organization, founded by ardent boaters and marine-industry veterans, is built on the idea that the world’s oceans and waterways are an irreplaceable resource that must be valued and protected for future generations. All Hands Alliance brings that value home, and encourages and inspires the people…

Plimoth Plantation’s fully restored historic tall ship to make port stop at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy before homecoming to Plymouth on August 10; tickets to board ship on sale on August 8 On August 10, 2020, following a more than three-year, multi-million-dollar restoration, the 64-year-old Mayflower II will return home to Plymouth Harbor where it is a major exhibit of Plimoth Plantation, the living history museum of 17th century Massachusetts. “Mayflower II is a unique educational resource…