May 2025

Well April was busy, just like we said it would be. CT Spring Boat Show was a blast despite a typical spring mix of sun, rain, breeze on and decent 60s temps. The Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show had much of the same. But with that all out of the way, it’s time to get serious about the prep-and-go time of year! This is a Marion Bermuda Race year as well as Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race…

‘Lessons from the Wizard’ Focuses on Character Quicklier Film Partners, the team that produced MELGES: The Wizard of Zenda, is releasing a new educational film for sailing schools. Lessons from the Wizard is an instructional film that focuses on the attitude and character of a sailor. The trailer is available for viewing on Vimeo.     Like the full-length documentary, this 50-minute video chronicles Buddy’s extraordinary sailing career. But Lessons from the Wizard shines the spotlight on…

Lagoon Catamaran, the world-renowned builder of premium cruising catamarans, is proud to announce the appointment of its new exclusive dealership for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. The new dealership, operating under the name Signature Catamarans, will serve discerning sailors and yacht owners from Virginia to Maine. Signature Catamarans will provide expert guidance, sales, and service for Lagoon’s full line of luxury catamarans, from the innovative Lagoon 38 to the flagship Lagoon Eighty2 and Eighty3. With the opening of…

New “club” boat is versatile, affordable and fun Bill Crane, Karl Ziegler and a group of influential marine industry experts and professionals launched the Storm Marine Group last year to take institutional boat building to the next level, and the Storm 18 is their first major product. Their 18-foot lifting keel sloop will be formally released soon, fulfilling the need for a new Ideal 18.     Institutional (or “club”) boats are typically acquired as fleets by…

Aquador Boats, known for their premium Scandinavian design and exceptional craftsmanship, are now available in the U.S., exclusively distributed by SailTime. This marks a major milestone for boating enthusiasts seeking stylish and high-quality vessels     Aquador models will be available for direct retail purchase as well as through PowerTime, SailTime’s powerboat ownership and membership program. PowerTime members can enjoy hassle-free boating with access to a fleet of premium powerboats at locations nationwide. The latest PowerTime base…

The 4th Annual CT Sea Music Festival will drop anchor in historic downtown Essex the weekend of June 6-9. This family-friendly weekend includes a Symposium on the Music of the Sea, free daytime workshops and concerts featuring local, regional, and international maritime performers, a family stage, demonstrations of sailor skills, sails on the Connecticut River, a Sunday morning revival-style hymn sing, and late-night Chantey Sings in the Griswold Inn and the Essex Corinthian Yacht Club. Evening concerts are…

Editor’s note: In mid-March, four sailors from Connecticut and Rhode Island traveled to the Principality of Monaco to compete in the Tropheé Virginie Hériot, an all-women’s regatta hosted by the Yacht Club de Monaco and sailed in J/70s. The event celebrates Virginie Hériot (1890-1932), who was known as ‘Madame de la Mer.’ She is the first woman to win an Olympic Sailing gold medal, as part of a mostly male 8 Metre team at the 1928 Amsterdam…

A number of years ago, I read a quote from four-time Olympic gold medalist Paul Elvstrøm. His words seemed so true they have stuck with me ever since. He said, “The good sailors all know how to race very well, but the champions have won the regatta before the racing even begins.” In other words, preparation (i.e. everything you do to get ready for the start of the first race) is super important. Unfortunately, I didn’t have…

By Aurora “Rory” Meunier Mott Photos by the author and Erica Lush     Who knew that a meeting over coffee would lead to a plane ticket to France? At the end of December 2024, I was invited to a breakfast meet and greet with my friend Ellie Menezes (with whom I’ve been sailing for about five years), Joe Cooper (my Prout Sailing coach) and shorthanded offshore racer Erica Lush. I’d heard of Erica and wanted to…

Our friends at Sound Sailing Center won their class at the 51st St. Thomas International Regatta in their Caribbean racer/cruiser Tatihou, a 2012 Jeanneau 409. Club members had sailed Tatihou from Connecticut to Bermuda and on to St. Thomas in December, as they have done for many years, and have now notched their second win in the Jewel of Caribbean Racing, hosted by the St. Thomas Yacht Club March 28-30.   “I had Tatihou remeasured this year…