What’s New

It’s been said that when one door closes, another opens. For Griffin Spinney, a Newport, Rhode Island resident who’s been sailing for most of his 18 years, the “prize behind door #2” turned out to be more fantastic than he could have imagined. A senior at Proctor Academy in Andover, New Hampshire, Griff is an accomplished offshore sailor.  After his plans to build a wooden paddleboard for his senior project were waylaid by COVID-19, our friends at…

We like to think that volunteers who organize and run regattas for sailors with disabilities are “paying it forward,” meaning that if it were you in the boat, you’d want someone to be looking out for you, too. But paying forward isn’t always the only option. For the past twelve years, the hundreds of volunteers who have helped make the Robie Pierce Regattas for sailors with disabilities a success have had their contributions matched by financial underwriting…

Monday, May 11 is the rollout date for “Conversations with Classic Boats,” the website and podcast created by Tom Darling, a longtime WindCheck friend and contributor, featuring a unique look at what he calls “classic” boats. “A classic boat doesn’t have to be wood, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a yacht,” Darling explained. “It could be fiberglass – think of a Dyer Dhow – but everyone agrees that Bolero and Dorade are classics.” The website,…

Over the years, our friends at the Warrior Sailing and the USMMA Sailing Foundation have received a number of sail donations for vessels large and small. Many of these get put to use on program boats, while others are sold for fundraising purposes. “We started passing along sails to our friends at Sea Bags a while back to help supply them with plenty of raw material for their beautiful bags,” said Warrior Sailing Program Director Ben Poucher….

NEWPORT, R.I. (April 27, 2020) – While sailors are all facing challenges and uncertain times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two of the best coaches in the sport, Dave Perry and Dave Dellenbaugh, have stepped up to offer an alternative to in-person coaching with an online coaching program. “One of our board members saw on Scuttlebutt that Dave Perry and Dave Dellenbaugh have come up with coaching sessions available online, and given the coaching relationship the Clagett…

Essex, CT  (April 10, 2020)  The Connecticut Spring Boat Show, which was scheduled to be held Friday, May 1 – Sunday, May 3 at Safe Harbor Essex Island, Essex, CT has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The CT Spring Boat Show annually raises money for Sails Up 4 Cancer and is sponsored by Safe Harbor Essex Island, Yacht Brokers Association of America, Essex Boat Works, Essex Steam Train and Riverboat and YachtWorld. The cancelation of…

Storm Trysail Club – Coronavirus Statement  MAY 16th HANDS-ON SAFETY-AT-SEA AT SUNY MARITIME CANCELLED. Health and safety are a top priority of the Storm Trysail Club and in the face of the evolving COVID-19 situation, we have decided to cancel the May 16th SUNY Safety-At-Sea Seminar. The refund policy for the Safety-At-Sea Seminar is: Those who signed up for “US Offshore Certification” for $295 will get a full refund. Those who signed up for “International (World Sailing)…

Editor’s note: Here is an important message from our friends at UK Sailmakers. As shortages of healthcare supplies continue to hamper the fight against Covid-19, UK Sailmakers continues to do what we can to make personal protective equipment available for doctors and nurses across North America and Europe. Sailmaking has been designated a “non-critical” industry (we can debate that down the road!), so UK Sailmakers has “retooled” from producing racing and cruising sails to stitching together protective…

The New England Science & Sailing Foundation in Stonington, Connecticut now offers their award-winning, accredited, and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)-based STEM courses online with live educators leading each lesson in order to serve schools, parents, and students. Featuring the unique experiential learning that sets NESS apart, these dynamic courses are live, instructor-led programs designed to support the continued education of students, minimizing learning losses and keeping students engaged in their education during these difficult times. NESS…

Offshore Sailing School founders Steve and Doris Colgate are producing self-made #DocksideChatswithSteve from their home on the Caloosahatchee River in Southwest Florida, for a little sailing-oriented entertainment to those who may also be homebound during the COVID-19 crisis. These short vignettes are based on the couple’s sailing experiences over the past 56 years of owning and operating Offshore Sailing School. Based in Fort Myers, Fla., the company has taught more than 150,000 adults and families how to…