Roughly 20 years ago, Dixie Bacon placed an ad looking for a sail inspector to work with Consignment Sails. It didn't take long - after a quick meeting with Dixie and Steve, it was clear that Bacon's had found the right guy.
Since then, Gary Chwazik has been far more than a General Manager at Bacon Sails & Marine Supplies - he has been a steady hand, a trusted leader, and an important part of the company's growth and character.
Through his dedication, knowledge, and commitment to both our customers and our crew, Gary helped build and expand our New Sails & Service Department into what it is today, while leaving a lasting impact on everyone fortunate enough to work alongside him.
His leadership, work ethic, and passion for the sailing community will be deeply missed, but the mark he leaves on this company will remain for years to come.
We thank him sincerely for two decades of loyalty, friendship, and service, and we wish him smooth sailing, fair winds, and the very best in retirement.
- Steve, Stevie & the Bacon's Crew
Thank you again, Gary.
Gary Chwazik General Manager
Boating
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SpinSheet Crew Parties Connect Sailors in Spring
A chilly, yet awesome, final SpinSheet Crew Party of 2026.
36
See the Bay: The Age of Sail on Full Display at Sail250 America
A fleet of international ships from the age of sail will assemble to mark the country’s 250th anniversary.
By Mike Pitchford, Jim Kizziar, and Frank Slattery presented by Osprey Marine restOratiOn
39
Bluewater Dreaming: Goldilocks Anchoring
The art of finding an anchor hold that’s not too rocky, not too close, but just right.
By
Jillian Greenawalt presented by M yacht services
42
Charter Notes: St. Barths Bucket Regatta From a Different Perspective
Sailing to and spectating at a storied regatta aboard Rhea, a 177-foot traditionally built, two-masted Bermuda staysail ketch.
By David Stalfort
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Safety Series Part 3: Equipping Your Boat for Coastal Sailing Safety
When your sail exceeds your comfort zone, yet is not deep into the ocean, here are some considerations for your boat.
By Captain Cheryl Duvall
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Spectacular Spring Racing!
Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series analysis and news about EWE Spirit Cup, Bermuda races, Santa Maria Cup, and more.
Ted Morgan took this month’s cover shot at the windy, record-breaking EWE Spirit Cup May 16. Find our full report in the racing section on page 59.
# Photo by Will Keyworth
# Photo by David Stalfort
# Photo by Walter Cooper
David Gendell
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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SpinSheet is a monthly magazine for and about Chesapeake Bay sailors. Reproduction of any part of this publication is strictly prohibited without prior consent of the officers of SpinSheet Publishing Company. SpinSheet Publishing Company accepts no responsibility for discrepancies in advertisements. SpinSheet is available by first class subscription for $45 per year, and back issues are
available for $4 each. Mail payment to SpinSheet Subscriptions, 612 Third Street, Suite 3C Annapolis, MD, 21403. SpinSheet is distributed free of charge at more than 800 establishments along the shores Chesapeake Bay. Businesses or organizations wishing to distribute SpinSheet should contact the SpinSheet office at (410) 216-9309 or beatrice@spinsheet.com.
Not all of our readers are competitive sailors, but that doesn’t mean they’re not competitive, especially if it combines on-water fun and a prize. We have two challenges for SpinSheet readers this summer: the SpinSheet Summer Cover Contest and the PropTalk See the Bay Challenge:
Want to see your photo on the cover of SpinSheet?
Sailors may enter photos in our 2026 Summer Cover Contest at spinsheet.com/cover-contest from now through July 10. From then through July 17, SpinSheet readers will vote for the winning shot for our August cover. Here are seven tips for success:
• Shoot vertically. Our cover is a portrait, not landscape shape. Although we can crop high-resolution horizontal photos to fit the cover, vertical shots with room for headers and footers work better.
• Skip the blurry shots.
• Send photos with sailboats in them. We seek pictures of happy sailors on sailboats on the Chesapeake Bay.
• Think summer. Send your frostbite racing photos some other time. For this contest. show us summertime on the Bay through a sailor’s lens.
• Before we open up the contest for reader voting July 11, our graphic design team will filter out photos that are blurry, the wrong shape, not summery, not taken on sailboats, or depicting children without lifejackets on boats. If your photo disappears before reader voting, it did not make it through these filters.
• New in 2026: anyone may enter the contest unless they have won it previously! We have run this contest for 15 years and have had several two- or three-time winners. It’s time to give other sailor-photographers a fighting chance.
• To enter your photo, click to spinsheet.com/cover-contest. Upload your entry by midnight on July 10. Good luck!
What’s the See the Bay Challenge?
Whether you’re a sailor, a powerboater, or more of a multi-nautical type, you probably have a few waterfront restaurants or dock bars you like. Over the years, you may have perused and checked off a few (or a dozen) from the PropTalk Dock Bar Guide. Last month PropTalk launched a new challenge, and all are welcome to participate. The goal of this challenge is to explore the wonderful towns on the Chesapeake Bay and support local waterfront restaurants.
Here’s how it works: the challenge takes place on the proxi website, so no app is needed. When you visit one of the waterfront establishments listed, “check in” by uploading a photo of yourself (or PropTalk) there to earn points. If you visit a spot that is a PropTalk supporter, you earn extra credit points. Whether traveling by boat or land yacht, take along a designated driver or skipper. Visit proptalk.com/bay-challenge to get a sneak peek at the list and register. Your $10 registration fee helps to offset our program and shipping costs.
See you on the water!
photo by November
ve things you should know about boat insurance
Are you ready to embark on your next on-water adventure? Before you set sail, here are ve things to know about boat insurance.
1. Boat insurance isn’t just for accidents
With comprehensive coverage, you’ll also be protected nancially for theft, vandalism, and unexpected events like storms if you need repairs or replacements due to damage.
2. Accidents can happen to anyone
When accidents happen, boat insurance offers liability coverage for damages or injuries you cause while boating, up to speci ed limits. It can also cover lawsuit costs if you’re sued.
3. Boat insurance can cover medical payments
Boat insurance offers a range of optional medical payments coverage limits, helping to cover medical expenses if you’re in an accident or someone is hurt on your boat, regardless of fault.
4. Most lenders require boat insurance
If you nanced your boat, you’ll likely need boat insurance since most lenders require boat insurance to protect their investment. Additionally, some marinas or municipalities require proof of insurance for docking.
5. Progressive offers specialized boat coverages Ever worry about getting stuck on the water?
Progressive’s Sign & Glide® On-Water Towing coverage** can help. It’s an additional coverage that steps in if your boat is disabled or breaks down on the water, paying for on-water towing, jump starts, soft ungroundings, and fuel delivery. Fuel cost isn’t included.
Don’t let unforeseen circumstances disrupt your voyage. Cruise with con dence thanks to Progressive Boat insurance. Because when it comes to your boat, peace of mind is the ultimate luxury.
Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. and af liates. Product features are subject to policy terms and conditions and may not be available in all states or for all vehicles and coverage selections.
*No. 1 rating based on boat market share data from Rate lings.com.
Sign & Glide® is an optional coverage you can add to any Progressive Boat policy and costs $30/annually ($50/annually in Florida). Prices are subject to change.
Scan to get a quote in as little as 4 minutes.
Go to progressive.com to learn more.
SpinSheet in Ireland
My wife and I are in Kinsale Ireland and brought along a copy of April’s edition of SpinSheet
Tom Ehman
A True Treasure on the Chesapeake
In this day of online media and AIdriven videos and publications, it is good to see that SpinSheet still exists in a printed form. There is something familiar with stopping by Bacon Sails or the Double T Diner to grab a copy of the magazine.
My kids grew up with a copy of SpinSheet on the coffee table. It has been woven into the fabric of our lives, as well as the lives of countless others over the years. The first story I wrote for SpinSheet was in 2007 titled “The Perfect Crash, an Albacore on the Edge.” I remember when I sent it to Molly, and she wrote back that she would have replied sooner but she was too busy laughing. Over the years my kids and I submitted stories about various sailing adventures with our family.
We now live in Florida and sail on Tampa Bay. Every time I travel to Maryland, the first stop is usually one of the many establishments that carry SpinSheet. They travel back to Florida with us.
In the May 2026 issue, the Editors Note, “We’re Here for You” (page 12), touched me. We have seen way too many printed publications fade into the online world. Not just sailing publications, but many others have disappeared from the shelves and racks. I hope that SpinSheet can remain a staple of Chesapeake life, in a printed form.
P.S. Next time we are out on the boat, I will snap a photo holding SpinSheet. You can’t do that with an online magazine.
Charles Stone Hunter Legend 37 Dreamcatcher
SpinSheet Shaping the Sailing Scene
Ijust want to say how much I appreciate all that SpinSheet does for the sailing community here. So far beyond just reporting on the sailing scene, you guys are shaping it. Bringing the community together not just for social gatherings, but matchmaking skippers and crew—you’re not just observers, you’re changing people’s lives in a very positive way.
You commented on my recent success with my business which I do appreciate, thank you, but it can’t compare to the impact you guys are making. The sailing community is incredibly fortunate to have such an amazing organization to not only reflect on our love of sailing, but to contribute to it in such a big way. I know this isn’t news to you, but in case you don’t hear it often enough, thank you and everyone at SpinSheet for all you do.
Capt. Steven Toole
The Hampton Way of Life
Ithought this was a really cool photo of me rigging my Hampton One Design for a Hampton Yacht Club Wednesday Night Race. I have been sailing Hamptons for the last five years. I started as a crew and loved the class so much, I bought boat number 706. At the 2024 national champs, I was runner up in a tie-breaker for the championship. My grandfather sailed Hamptons in the 1950s, so I wanted to continue his legacy. I am a fourth generation Hamptonian, so it just fits the way of life!
Tyler Brown Hampton, VA
Send your questions, comments and stories to editor@spinsheet.com
# Photos by Katherine Gilmore Photography
Discover Sailing at The Wharf
All are invited to learn more about sailing this month when Washington, DC, hosts the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race’s East Coast stopover, June 14-22 at The Wharf. Don’t miss your chance to step aboard one or more of the 70-foot ocean-racing vessels, talk to the crewmembers, and discover what life is like above and below deck.
A Discovery Zone will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, and the public is invited to visit the boats and meet some of the 200-plus extraordinary crew members who are expected to be in town. Be sure to keep a lookout for Ella Hebron, skipper of Team Washington DC, sponsored by Events DC.
In 2024, when DC last hosted the race stopover, more than 2100 guests took advantage of this amazing opportunity. Youngsters left feeling inspired, and those with an itch for adventure left feeling encouraged to take the next steps on their own once-in-a-lifetime adventure. This year, boats will be open for tours from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 18, 19, and 20. On
those same dates, race crew members will present Discovery Talks. At print time, times for the talks have yet to be determined, so visit clipperroundtheworld. com/port/washington-dc/2025-26 for the latest updates.
This is the second year Events DC is sponsoring a yacht and host port. Events DC is the sports and convention authority for the nation’s capital, hosting meetings, entertainment, sporting, and cultural events that showcase the best of Washington, DC for visitors from across the city and around the world.
The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is a 40,000-nautical mile, 11-month circumnavigation challenge. Crewmembers come from all walks of life and nations around the world. Participants may compete in one or multiple legs of the race. No previous experience is required. The organization will train complete novices to become ocean racers. When the boats arrive in DC this month, they will have just completed leg seven of the eight-leg race.
Eight sailors have ties to the Chesapeake area. Three of them are circumnavigators, meaning they are participating in all legs of the race. They are Anthony Sennhenn from Alexandria, VA; Mruthyunjaya Gonchigar from Potomac, MD; and Ieva Notturno from Washington, DC. Leg-specific crew, meaning they have or will participate in one or more legs but not all eight, are Tina BrowerThomas, Gardell Robinson, and Maria-Marta Andrade from Washington, DC; Tim Boatwright from Vienna, VA; and Christopher Ruotolo from Arlington, VA. The ages of these local racers range from 40 to 67 years.
On June 22, boats and crews will shove off bound for the UK on the final leg of the race. A crew parade will unfold at 6:15 p.m. followed by a parade of sail from 8:55 to 9:20 p.m. Fireworks are scheduled for 9 p.m. Learn more about all the planned festivities and find details at clipperroundtheworld.com.
# Step aboard, tour the boats, and meet the crew! A fleet of 70-foot racing yachts will dock at The Wharf during their DC stopover June 14-22. Photo courtesy of Events DC.
Norfolk’s American Rover
The Bowtie of the Elizabeth River City Skyline
By Erik Speer
She dots the Norfolk, VA, waterfront like the perfect bowtie on a tux. She is fitting, formal, fascinating, and fun. She is the gorgeous American Rover, a 135-foot three-masted schooner, crowning the city view and offering seasonal sunset tours for locals and tourists.
Her green steel hull was built in Panama City, FL, in 1985. She was outfitted in the Willoughby area of Norfolk and commissioned for service in 1986. Designed by Merritt Walter, of Rover Marine Lines, Inc., she is one of a fleet of over a dozen similar vessels.
Known for her red “tanbark” sails, the ship can accommodate 120 passengers per voyage. She operates from April through October each year, leaving her dock at Waterside Marina and heading northwest up the Elizabeth River towards the Hampton Roads Harbor. There are two-hour daytime and sunset cruises offered, as well as private catered events. Covered areas on deck and two air-conditioned lounges
and a ship’s store below provide shelter and refreshments. Guests can help with raising and lowering sails if they like or just sit back and enjoy the ride and the incredible views along the way.
Captain Brook Smith (also president of the American Rover company) greets guests upon departure and provides detailed audio tours with
wonderful anecdotes about the Norfolk and Portsmouth waterfront history.
The crew is highly trained. While tacking and gybing, expert sailors Alden Chavez and Connor Reynolds simultaneously attend directly to the needs of the guests. “Gybe Ho!” they yell, while running to haul the sail quickly across the deck. Within an instant, they are right back to chatting and laughing with the guests. Meanwhile, down below in air-conditioned comfort, crew member Jeannie Binetti lovingly helms the gift and provisions shop. As with the crew, her smile is infectious.
Out-of-state guests board for local romance, for special occasions, and just for fun. Local fans Nathan Crawford, Jarred Tumer, and Jason Zalasky are regulars, celebrating birthdays throughout the year. Local sailboat owners Aimee and Ken Thompson grab two seats for date night. Abigail Sensenig and Andrew Shuman, visiting from Philadelphia, “love the adventure.”
As the sun sets and twilight comes, the Rover gently comes about. The sails sweep across the deck. Captain Smith guides her to the dock. Another beautiful journey!
Learn more at americanrover.com
# Sunset on the Elizabeth River.
# CEO, captain, and tour guide of American Rover, Brooke Smith. Photos by Chuck Tyhurst
About Whitehall Yacht Yard:
Owner-operated marina & boatyard, DIY or skilled contractors with management available if desired. Competitive pricing with great value and beautifully situated on Whitehall Creek.
$ Deepwater slips
$ Travelift
$ Crane service
$ Dry storage for 200+ boats
$ 100+ slips for boats 22 to 45 feet,
$ New aluminum high-beam lift slips to 29’ LOA
For three generations, John White’s family boatyard has been known for attention to detail, customer service, and dependability. If you seek a protected, serene home or haulout location for your boat, John and his team will treat you properly.
CRAB Receives a Record-Breaking Program Grant
A$150,000 grant from Phillips
Charitable Foundation marks the largest program grant in Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating’s (CRAB) history. This extraordinary gift will support CRAB’s group sail program that provides therapeutic sailing programs to local, regional, and national nonprofits that serve people with disabilities at no cost to them. This incredible support will aid CRAB in reaching its goal of serving more than 2000 guests in 2026, the organization’s 35th anniversary year, while also expanding accessible boating and sailing on the Bay.
CRAB vice president of development, Rebecca Gonser, remarked, “CRAB
Ten years ago, a small group of dedicated volunteers waded into Spa Creek off the Severn River to test the water quality. Week after
deeply appreciates partners like Phillips Charitable Foundation, whose understanding of our mission enables us to strategically expand our impact and better serve the rapidly growing community of people with disabilities, wounded warriors, and children from underserved communities.”
The mission of the Phillips Charitable Foundation is to support orga-
Swim, Sip, and Celebrate
week, rain or shine, they collected water samples to track what was in the creek and hold the line for a cleaner waterway. On Friday, June 5, at 5:30 p.m., the Spa
nizations that provide necessary change in the lives of vulnerable populations by solving problems and removing obstacles. The foundation has been a consistent supporter of CRAB’s adaptive boating center and its therapeutic programs. Its generosity has enabled a tremendous expansion of CRAB boating and wellness programs. Learn more at crabsailing.org and phillipsgrants.org.
Creek Conservancy will celebrate a decade of that work with a swim that will take participants across the creek from Truxtun Park to Amos Garrett Waterfront Park, where a celebration with beer, wine, and refreshments will unfold.
Kayakers will escort swimmers across the creek, and volunteers will bring them back to Truxtun Park after celebrating on the other side.
Not a swimmer? No problem. This is a free community event for anyone who loves Spa Creek, and everyone is welcome at Amos Garrett Waterfront Park, regardless of whether they arrive by land or sea. Displays will showcase the remarkable progress in Spa Creek’s water quality over the past decade. For more information and to register visit spacreek.net/swim. Email questions to web@spacreek.net.
Spa Creek Conservancy is an allvolunteer organization dedicated to keeping Spa Creek swimmable and fishable. The organization aims to fulfill its mission of stewardship of the Spa Creek watershed through education, preservation, mitigation, and restoration. Learn more at spacreek.net
# Following a group sail in May, guests from Langton Green pose for a photo on the CRAB dock. Photo courtesy of CRAB
# Swim accross Spa Creek or simply join the on-land celebration. Photo courtesy of Spa Creek Conservancy/Facebook
Art on the Waterfront
Sailors know how picturesque the Chesapeake and its waterfront towns are, so it’s extra special for us to see artists from around the country and even internationally descend upon our beloved Bay to capture its beauty in real time. Two “plein air” or outdoor painting events take place this summer: Paint Annapolis (May 31 to June 7) and Plein Air Easton (July 10 to 19).
This month the Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) celebrates its 25th edition of Paint Annapolis. More than 30 talented artists are juried into the program, and and more than 70 public artists also participate. The joy for art-lovers is not only to see artists with easels painting on the sidewalks and marinas around town, but also to attend multiple free public events such as Dueling Brushes (two-hour painting competition) and Paint the Bay exhibits on the water, Art on the Avenue on Maryland Avenue, and exhibits in the MFA Circle Gallery
and pop-up gallery, as well as a festive, ticketed Collector’s Party. Learn more at mdfedart.com/paintannapolis
One month later, the action moves across the bridge for Plein Air Easton. Operated by the Avalon Foundation, this plein air competition features 58 juried artists and a sizeable slate of events, featuring a kick-off celebration, a two-hour painting competition (“Quick Draw”), painting demos, exhibits around town as well as Oxford and Tilghman, a Collector’s Party, a Next Generation painting day, and a play at the Avalon Theater. Learn more at pleinaireaston.com
Is it okay for attendees to approach plein air painters with questions? Yes, but watch their body language. These painters may be racing the clock if they have a time limit or are rushing to finish their work before the daylight changes. If you get a smile and a “hello,” it’s okay to ask about their painting materials or setup as long as you don’t take up too much of
their time and focus. It’s best to let them paint, take their card, and find them at the reception to talk about, and maybe buy, their beautiful waterfront art.
# A plein air painter at City Dock for Paint Annapolis. Photo courtesy MFA
2025 River Report Card for the South, West, and Rhode Rivers
By Elle Bassett, South, West, and Rhode Riverkeeper at Arundel Rivers Federation
When I’m out on the South, West, and Rhode Rivers monitoring water quality, I’m not just collecting data—I’m reading the story of our rivers. The 2025 River Report Card is the latest chapter, offering a clear snapshot of river health by tracking clarity, oxygen, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and algae, and helping guide where we focus restoration.
Produced annually by Arundel Rivers Federation, the local nonprofit dedicated to healing our waterways, the River Report Card highlights trends, identifies problems, and points toward solutions. This year’s story is a mix of progress and challenges.
All three rivers earned a C in 2025. The South River held steady overall, though several tributaries declined. The West
River showed modest improvements in oxygen and nitrogen and outperformed the others in several categories. The Rhode River faced the toughest conditions, with widespread declines, especially in its headwaters.
This is our second year tracking nitrogen, phosphorus, and algae alongside long-standing measures such as clarity and dissolved oxygen. While overall water quality declined compared to 2024, yearto-year swings are normal, especially with changing weather. Over the past decade, however, clarity and oxygen are gradually improving; progress we’d miss without consistent monitoring.
One key insight this year is bottom oxygen. Surface waters tend to have healthy oxygen levels, but deeper waters often tell a different story. As algae die and decompose, they strip oxygen from
the bottom, creating stressful or even unlivable conditions for aquatic life. This year, we saw notable declines, echoed by reports from watermen finding dead crabs in their pots.
Another takeaway: rising phosphorus. Across most sites, phosphorus increased, fueling algae growth and lowering scores. While nitrogen improved in many areas, phosphorus often drives algal blooms. The result: more algae, cloudier water, and lower oxygen, especially in upstream tributaries, where runoff, erosion, and groundwater are key sources.
The good news? These are solvable problems. By reducing pollution at its source and restoring upstream areas, we can improve river health. From where I stand (often on the Riverkeeper vessel), that’s a future worth working toward. Explore the full report at arundelrivers.org.
# Photo courtesy Arundel Rivers
LG Raley, Dedicated Regatta Volunteer
(1941-2026)
Lewis Gray “LG” Raley, 84 of Hollywood, MD, passed away on April 30 at his home of 50 years on Cuckold Creek. He was born on December 10, 1941, in Washington, DC, to the late Wilma Gray and Charles Emerick Raley.
A 1960 graduate of St. Michael High School in Ridge, MD, he enlisted in the United States Army and served his country from 1964 to 1966. During his service he was awarded the Marksman (Rifle) Medal. On October 24, 1964, LG married the love of his life, Merrie Ruth Himmelheber, in Hollywood, MD, and together they celebrated more than 61 years of marriage.
Professionally, LG worked as a teenager at the sales center and moved up the ranks to manager and owner of Bill Raley’s Home Furnishings. After retiring
from the furniture business, LG worked for more than 20 years in property management with Wildewood Park Partnership.
From his early days with Triangle Rods & Custom Club and the Ridge Drag Team to his role as longtime chair of the Southern Maryland Sailing Association (SMSA) Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge Regatta (1990s to 2010s), LG was often the man behind the scenes. Detail-oriented, from paint jobs to polished fasteners, he was the one in charge of getting the cars and boats ready for action. His deep involvement for so many years in SMSA’s Screwpile Regatta led to his nickname Mr. Screwpile.
He served as president of METCOM, commodore of SMSA, director of St. Mary’s College of Maryland Boat
Foundation, and as a member of the Solomons Island Yacht Club.
Memorial contributions in LG’s name may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD, 20650 or Sailing Center Chesapeake (somdsailing.org)
Kirk Culbertson, DSC’s First Executive Director (1955-2026)
On April 21, George “Kirk” Culbertson, who was affectionately referred to at Baltimore’s Downtown Sailing Center (DSC) as Captain Kirk, passed away.
In 1993, the DSC was founded as a non-profit community sailing center by a group of sailors who had all been members of a private sailing club in Baltimore. A leader and a motivator by nature, Kirk organized a founding board, raised seed money, and was instrumental in getting the DSC off the ground and on the water.
As a CPA, the end of tax season corresponded nicely with the beginning of
the sailing season. Kirk started to recruit folks from all walks of life to introduce them to the joy of sailing. Ultimately, when the limited budget could afford it, Kirk became the DSC’s first executive director for an initial annual salary of $10,000. As the sole employee, Kirk did everything from bookkeeping, marketing, and scheduling as well as teaching folks how to sail well enough so they, in turn, could become sailing instructors.
As the organization grew, Kirk brought local and national attention to the DSC’s progress and programming through his involvement in U.S. Sailing. This attention led to various awards and commendations from U.S. Sailing and the State of Maryland for the DSC and himself including: Best New Community Sailing Program, 1998 and 2003; USSA Community Sailing Director of the Year, 2004; Mayor and City Council recognition resolutions, 2005; Fox 45 MLK Champion of Courage, 2005; and 100 Black Women Award for Community Service, 2005.
Kirk had a knack for capitalizing on an idea or opportunity when it presented itself. One example was when Steve
Gross joined the DSC. Steve had never been on a boat. Kirk took him sailing, gave him lessons, and turned Steve into a true believer and eventually president of the DSC. One day, Steve, who had a brother with spina bifida, suggested to Kirk that the DSC should make sailing accessible so that anyone, regardless of physical ability, could sail. Steve had the idea, but Kirk made it a reality. The two of them became a dynamic duo, leaving no stone unturned to make the DSC a national model for accessible sailing.
Kirk devoted more than 12 years of his life to the DSC. When he handed over the helm, it was difficult to imagine the DSC without Captain Kirk as a daily fixture to keep things running smoothly. So much of what sailors now take for granted at the DSC—accessible sailing, Thursday Night Racing, Ya Gotta Regatta, Sailing Instructor Training Program (now known as the Young Mariners Institute), the Junior Sailing Camp, and the Cruising Education Program—came about under the leadership of Captain Kirk.
In lieu of flowers, friends may make memorial donations to the DSC (downtownsailing.org).
# Photo by Tim Flaherty
Mischelle Wilbricht, Sailor and Artist (1968-2026)
Annapolis sailor Mischelle Dorene Wilbricht, age 58, died on April 27 after a 10-year battle with cancer.
Mischelle was a gifted artist whose work spoke directly from the soul. Through the luminous, wax-resist tradition of batik and the fluid, expressive beauty of watercolor, she created works that captured light, color, and the ever-changing spirit of the natural world. Sailors around Annapolis could bid on her work through charity fundraisers, such as those by the Eastport Yacht Club Foundation, which she supported generously.
An accomplished sailor, Mischelle was an enthusiastic racer and seasoned cruiser, who loved the sailing lifestyle with her entire heart. From the turquoise waters of the Bahamas to the breathtaking anchorages of the British Virgin Islands, she was most at home with salt air in her hair and wind in the sails.
A true wanderer at heart, Mischelle called many places home over the years, having lived up and down the Eastern Seaboard. She traveled with open curiosity and fearless enthusiasm that carried her to some of the world’s most remarkable destinations from the rugged wilderness of Alaska and the lush paradise of Hawaii, to the ancient heights of Machu Picchu in Peru, the cultural treasures of Europe, and the sun-drenched islands of the Caribbean. Each journey deepened her appreciation for the richness of this world and the extraordinary people who inhabit it.
Mischelle is survived by the great loves of her life: her devoted husband, Tim Wilbricht; her beloved sons, Noah and Luke; her parents, John and Carol Ward; her brother, John Ward Jr.; and her sister, Patrice. She was further blessed by an extraordinary and wide circle of cherished friends whose unwavering support enriched every chapter of her life.
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CBF’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center Dance in the sand, enjoy live music, food and drinks. Benefits the Bay. Tickets: cbf.org/bandsinthesand Our All Killer, No Filler Crab Cakes Ship www.goldbelly.com/boatyard-bar-and-grill
through Jun 7
Paint Annapolis
See plein air painters making art all over town! Come to multiple free exhibits along the waterfront, on Maryland Avenue, and at the MFA Circle Gallery on State Circle to see impressive, new maritime and Annapolis art. Hosted by the Maryland Federation of Art.
through Sept 15
PropTalk See the Bay Challenge From May 15 to September 15, visit waterfront restaurants around the Chesapeake Bay and earn points for each place you visit. Learn more and register at proptalk.com/baychallenge
13 Baltimore Floatilla Five-mile paddle across the Baltimore Harbor from Canton to the Inner Harbor and back. Kayaks, canoes, standup paddleboards, and rowboats are welcome. The purpose of the event is to advocate for better recreational water access and to highlight environmental issues on the waterfront.
13
Bands in the Sand 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the Philip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis, MD. All tickets include: unlimited food and drinks, access to the Atlas Restaurant Group Oyster Reef Complimentary shuttles from remote parking lots, a tax-deductible donation that supports CBF’s education and restoration efforts throughout the year.
Saturday, June 13, 2026 I 5:30–10 p.m.
June
15 Storm Trysail Jr.
Safety at Sea
Held at Annapolis Yacht Club Sailing Center. Participants must be proficient at basic sailing. Minimum age is 13. The deadline is May 31. No fee.
19-21
38th Annual Antique & Classic
Boat Festival and Coastal Arts Fair Father’s Day weekend at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md. One of the largest classic boat shows in the Mid-Atlantic region. Featuring the theme “Boats Built in Michigan and the Midwest,” featuring Chris-Craft, Lyman, Century, Larson, Gar Wood, Matthews, and many more classic and antique vessels. Also Boating History Talks Friday and Saturday, free boat rides on Saturday and Sunday, and maritime vendors, juried artists, nautical flea market, children’s activities, Field of Dreams (boats for sale), food vendors, and more throughout the weekend.
19-21 Norfolk Harborfest
At Town Point Park along the Downtown Norfolk waterfront, VA. Tall ships, parade of sail, fireworks, live music, artisan food and beverages, interactive family games, and more. America’s largest, longest-running, free maritime festival.
19-23
Sail 250 Virginia Host city: Norfolk, VA. For this milestone occasion, a fleet of the world’s most magnificent international tall ships and military ships, in an epic peacetime gathering, will sail into the port of Virginia. 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding in 1776.
20 Summer Sailstice
An international celebration of sailing. Free to join! Sign up to be eligible to win bonus prizes.
24-30 Sail 250 Maryland and Air Show Baltimore
A global gathering of international tall ships, military ships, and aircraft celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States. Baltimore, MD.
27 East of Maui EWE Spirit Chesapeake Stand Up Challenge 2026 New name, same great race. This is an open water race set in Annapolis Harbor and the mouth of the Severn River. There will be three course options: The 7-mile Challenge for more experienced paddlers, a 3 to 3.5-mile Challenge suitable for more recreational paddlers, and a one-mile Just for fun Race. This year’s race will be dedicated to our friend Geoff Ewenson. A portion of your entry fee will be donated to the EWE Spirit Foundation. New this year is the addition of the EWE Spirit Kids Race for 8-13 year olds. The Kids Race is free, and boards will be provided for the Kids race by Capital SUP. The Kids Race will start after all the Challenge racers have finished. Register on Paddle Guru.
Crab Cakes
June Racing
3-6
Santa Maria Cup Hosted by Eastport YC, Annapolis, MD.
5 Annapolis Bermuda Ocean Race Presented by Mustang Survival, hosted by Eastport YC, Annapolis, MD.
5 Don Backe Memorial CRAB Regatta Hosted by Annapolis YC.
6 NERYC Invitational Regatta Hosted by North East River YC, North East, MD.
6 Veteran’s Cup
Hosted by Old Point Comfort YC, Hampton, VA.
6-7
Snipe Colonial Cup Hosted by Severn Sailing Association, Annapolis, MD.
6-7 Dave Irey Regatta Hosted by the West River Sailing Club (WRSC), Galesville, MD.
7 Broad Bay Regatta Hosted by Broad Bay Sailing Association, Southern Chesapeake.
11-14 Snipe National Championships Hosted by Severn Sailing Association, Annapolis, MD.
13
Cock Island Race Hosted by Portsmouth Boat Club, Portsmouth, VA.
13
Corsica River Wooden Boat Heritage Regatta Hosted by Corsica River Yacht Club, Centreville, MD.
13 CYC Duet Regatta Hosted by Cambridge YC, Cambridge, MD.
13 Maryland Cures Cancer Regatta Hosted by Eastport YC, Annapolis, MD.
13 The Duet - Doublehanded Distance Race
Hosted by Cambridge YC, Cambridge, MD.
19 Newport Bermuda Race Organized by the Bermuda Race Foundation, Newport, RI.
20
BBSA Summer Solstice Race Hosted by Broad Bay Sailing Association, Southern Chesapeake.
20 EYC One Design Classic Hosted by Eastport YC, Annapolis, MD.
20
Sailstice Fun Regatta Hosted by Peninsula Sailors at Port Covington Marina in Baltimore Peninsula. Day sail to celebrate the summer solstice. No entry fees/no official scoring. Please contact info@sailbp.com
20-21 Heritage Regatta Hosted by WRSC, Galesville, MD.
25-26
Junior Annual and USODA Chesapeake Bay Championships Hosted by Hampton YC, Hampton, VA.
26-27 EYC Boomerang Race Hosted by Eastport YC, Annapolis, MD.
27 CCVR Moonlight Triangle Race Hosted by CCV Racing and Hampton YC.
27
SMSA Smith Point Race Hosted by Southern Maryland Sailing Association, Solomons, MD.
27 Linstead Cup
Round Bay Sailing Association presents the 2026 Linstead Cup pursuitstyle race on June 27. To register, email linsteadsailing@gmail.com by June 22. Rendezvous begins at 11:30 a.m. near Linstead pier on the Severn River. Race at noon takes boats to Route 50 bridge and back. Raftup afterward for awards, food truck, and drinks. $50 registration fee.
27-28
MRYC Log Canoe Centennial Series Hosted by the Miles River YC, St. Michaels, MD.
28 Wolcott Memorial Regatta Norfolk Yacht and Country Club, Norfolk, VA.
30 AYC Junior Annual Regatta Hosted by Annapolis YC.
30 WRSC Junior Regatta Hosted by WRSC, Galesville, MD.
July
4 15th annual Solomons Fourth of July Boat Parade
Show your American pride and dress up your boat or you person and join in on the fun. The starting cannon will sound at 12 p.m. sharp on Mill Creek in Solomons at 38.331264 x 76.450065. There is no registration, just jump in behind the last boat and form a line. Stay on channel 68 for the duration of the parade. All are welcome to join, just please follow all navigational aids and rules of the road. Safety first. Share your boat photos on the Facebook page: Solomons Island 4th of July Boat Parade.
10-19
Plein Air Easton Juried artists travel from around the country to Talbot County to create art outdoors rather than working in a studio. Free public events all over Easton, MD, and vicinity. Hosted by the Avalon Foundation.
11 Anne Arundel County River Days
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. All events are free and open to the public. Each festival will feature fun activities for all ages, including boat rides, water activities, environmental educators, live music, games, crafts, food trucks, and more. Boat rides are free, but capacity is limited and tickets will be available first come, first served.
11 Antique Outboard Motor Club Meet
8:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Flying Point Park (511 Kennard Ave) in Edgewood, MD. Everything vintage outboard motors and associated marine items. For more info contact Al Barnes (on_travel_2015B@ yahoo.com) or Lee at (410) 833-6152.
# Racing in and spectating log canoe races are among the great joys of summertime on the Chesapeake Bay.
11
CRAB Special Olympics
Hosted by Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating with Maryland and Virginia.
25 Bay Paddle
An epic day of paddle races and a festival to celebrate and help protect the Chesapeake Bay. Welcomes SUP, OC, kayak, canoe, surfski. Hosted by Kent Island Outrigger Canoe Club, Kent Island, MD.
July Racing
10
Hobie Fleet 32 Friday Night Beach Cat Series Begins Hosted by Broad Bay Sailing Association.
11
HHSA Women’s Race
Hosted by Herrington Harbour Sailing Association, North Beach, MD.
11
SMSA Sharps Island Race Hosted by Southern Maryland Sailing Association, Solomons, MD.
11
OPCYC Yankee Station Series 3
Hosted by Old Point Comfort YC, Hampton, VA.
11-12
CRYC Log Canoe Series
Hosted by the Chester River Yacht and Country Club and Corsica River YC, Centreville, MD.
BCYA Race to Baltimore Hosted by the Baltimore City Yacht Association.
18-19
Olivia’s Team Race Invitational
Hosted by Severn Sailing Association, Annapolis, MD.
18-19
RHYC Log Canoe Series
Hosted by Rock Hall YC, Rock Hall, MD.
18-19
Admiral Byrd One Design Regatta
Hosted by Cambridge Yacht Club. Classes: Albacores, Flying Scots, C420s, Hamptons, Lasers (ILCA7), Optimist (Green), Penguins, A Cat, and Shields. Questions? Contact sailing@cambridgeyachtclub.com
25-26
AYC Annual Regatta
Hosted by Annapolis YC.
25-26
CRYC One Design Regatta
The 84th annual, hosted by the Corsica River Yacht Club, Centreville, MD.
25-26
MRYC Log Canoe
Boardman’s Challenge and Governor’s Cup Hosted by Miles River YC, St. Michaels, MD.
26
McCarthy’s Sprints Hosted by Hampton YC, Hampton, VA.
31 - Aug 1
Governor’s Cup Yacht Race Hosted by St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, MD.
Photo by John Rock/Tidewater Images
art
Growing Into Sailing Together Meet Tom and Liz Martin
In 2019, Tom and Liz Martin were in their late 40s and looking for something new and meaningful to share. What did they find? Sailing! It all started with a beginner Sunfish lesson during a family outing on the Potomac. Tom, who had been exposed to sailing as a kid, was reminded of how much he enjoyed being on the water. Although sailing was completely new to Liz, it felt to her like something that they could grow into together. They began with lessons at Sail Solomons and expanded their horizons, eventually purchasing their own boat. Here Tom and Liz share their story.
Building experience on the Bay Tom and Liz primarily built their sailing experience on the Chesapeake, taking all their training through Sail Solomons. Tom worked through the full complement of courses steadily expanding his technical skills, and his next goal is to pursue a U.S. Coast Guard Captain’s License. Liz progressed more gradually, building confidence through repetition and time on the water. Her early course-
work in coastal navigation and marine weather laid a good foundation for later experiences aboard their own boat. Her next step will be to complete a Bareboat Cruising certification.
The couple joined the Sail Solomons sailing club for experience with a variety of boats and to gain time on the water. Participation in the club’s annual flotilla helped to grow skills and confidence in a supportive community setting.
Did you have any preconceived notions about sailing?
Tom: I expected sailing to be technical and skillbased, which proved true, but I didn’t fully appreciate how calming and immersive it would feel.
Liz: Sailing initially felt very foreign to me and, honestly, a little scary. The thought of being out on a huge blue ocean with no land in sight was something that struck real fear in me. But I was willing to explore it and face some of those fears. Over time, as we’ve built skills and gained experience, many of those fears have faded. I’ve become much more open to the idea of making sailing a meaningful part of our life and future. I also know the water is
Tom’s happy place and supporting that has become important to me too.
It has been encouraging to meet sailors in their 60s and 70s fully enjoying the lifestyle—it reassured us we weren’t starting too late. I’ve also really enjoyed meeting other women sailors along the way.
What are your future sailing plans?
We plan to keep building experience and spend more time on the water as work schedules allow. Longterm, we’re looking forward to making sailing a much bigger part of our lifestyle in retirement—hoping to explore the Intracoastal Waterway, the Caribbean, and other beautiful cruising grounds once we’re out of the daily grind. We plan to continue building our skills with more courses ahead, and Liz hopes to take a few sailing classes designed for women and couples. Tom finds night sailing exhilarating; Liz still finds it a little terrifying—but that’s all part of the adventure of learning together.
If someone were interested in learning to sail, what would you tell them?
You don’t need a sailing background or a boat to begin. Take a class, get out on the
art
water, and learn at your own pace—confidence comes quicker than you think. Retirement sneaks up fast, so you might as well start the fun now. We’ve found that there’s something in sailing for just about everyone. Every sailor brings different strengths, and every crew works best when those skills come together. For us, our respective interests just happen to complement each other really well.
Did you encounter any obstacles or barriers when you began sailing?
ments or bruised feelings, but over time we’ve learned to slow down, communicate more clearly, and be patient with each other. In the end it has actually brought us closer as a couple.
The softer side: provisioning and hospitality.
Tell us about owning a boat in a charter fleet.
Time has been the biggest factor. We both work full time and live about two hours from Solomons Island, so sailing requires planning—but that also makes each trip feel like a true getaway. Sailing has also taught us a lot about patience and communication. When one person is on the bow and the other is at the helm trying to dock, it’s not always easy to hear each other and tensions can run high when you’re trying to do things safely and quickly. At first that was a challenge for us and sometimes led to argu-
Liz: One part of sailing that I’ve really come to enjoy is what I think of as the softer side of the experience—provisioning and stewarding. I love creating a welcoming environment aboard and making the experience enjoyable for everyone. During a flotilla in Guadeloupe, Tom and I were assigned to be stewards for the group. The provisioning list from the company was entirely in French, so we had to work together to translate it and plan for the whole crew. It was a challenge but also a great learning experience in planning and teamwork. I’ve even thought about taking a steward class just for fun because I enjoy the hospitality side of sailing so much.
• MARCH 2026 ADD
• The Sailing Academy thesailingacademy.com
We own Moxie, a 39-foot Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 39i. Her name reflects the spirit we admire: steady determination, a little boldness, and the energy to keep going. She serves as a floating classroom—not only for us but also for the Sail Solomons sailing school—and as our weekend getaway and little retreat. Keeping her in the Sail Solomons charter fleet ensures she stays active, well cared for, and professionally maintained, and it keeps us closely connected to the local sailing community while we’re still working full time. The main drawback is working around charter availability, but it works well for our current stage of life. Moxie has become a perennial favorite in the fleet and has also been featured in several ASA sailing publications, most recently Docking and Maneuvering Made Easy, which was a fun honor for us. We hope other couples and crews enjoy their time aboard Moxie as much as we do.
Find more articles, new sailor profiles, and videos at StartSailingNow.com
Find a Sailing School
New sailors or those returning to sailing may want to seek instruction or coaching at a sailing school or club. Many such organizations exist on the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. They offer certifications for beginners, returning sailors hoping to brush up on seamanship skills, cruisers seeking bareboat chartering or navigation experience, and racers wanting to hone their skills. The following is a sampling of schools and clubs that offer sailing instruction on the Chesapeake. For a more complete list of schools offering certifications outside this region, visit US Sailing or American Sailing.
Chesapeake Bay Sailing Schools
• Annapolis Naval Sailing Association ansa.org
• Annapolis Sailing School annapolissailing.com
• Blue Water Sailing School bwss.com
• Captain In You Sailing Schools, Inc. captaininyou.com
• Chronic Sailing chronicsailing.com
• DC Sail dcsail.org
• Gratitude Sailing Institute gratitudesailing.com
• SailTime sailtime.com/annapolis
• Sail Solomons sailsi.com
• The Sailing Academy thesailingacademy.com
• West River Sailing Club learn2sailwrsc.com
# Photo courtesy of Sailtime
SpinSheet Crew Party Connects Sailors in Spring
Following the first three SpinSheet Crew Parties in Solomons (March 8), Norfolk (March 28), and Hampton (March 29), we hosted our final Annapolis Crew Party on a chilly, but happily not rainy, April 26 at the Eastport Yacht Club (EYC).
As well as party goers, a dozen sailing clubs, schools, and other organizations eager to reach out to sailors came to exhibit and form a welcoming ring around our boat “masts,” showing photos and information about boats seeking crew for the season.
Thank you to all of the terrific organizations who partnered with us to make our 2026 SpinSheet Crew Parties great, including the Southern Maryland Sailing Association, Broad Bay Sailing Association, Rebel Marine, Marker 20, and EYC. It takes a village to keep this sailing machine humming, and your enthusiasm and warm welcome made the parties more worthwhile and fun.
If you missed our live parties, sign up anytime for our online Crew Finder at spinsheet.com/crew-finder. # This is better advertising than a nametag!
# Photos by Walter Cooper
# The boat “masts” where crew find boats for the season.
Stories of the Century Almost Halfway There…
June is a big month for boaters. Not only is the weather perfect for most watersports, but the summer solstice falls on June 21 at 4:24 a.m. That means plentiful light in the mornings and evenings. That means it’s time to sign up for the Summer Sailstice (summersailstice.com). That means… uh oh! The year is half over! It’s time to get serious about your Century Club challenge and logging 100 on-water days in 2026.
For aspiring SpinSheet Century Club members, June is a season of barefoot paddles, sunset cruises, sailboat racing and cruising, dock bar hopping, and fishing. If you’d like to join the fun, click to spinsheet.com/100-days, sign up, and start logging your days. You have more than 180 of them in which to get on the water. See you out there!
# Ashley Love (left, 45 days) and her winning Mayhem team at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Series.
# JC Johns (32 days) had guests onboard April 24 at Round Bay.
# Richard Eggert (39 days) went out with Rebekah, (40 days), James, and Hunter for a cruising mentoring session.
# Son and father, Dave Ohler (39 days) and Bob Ohler (32 days), delivered a boat from Solomons to Deltaville. (He’s beating you, Bob.)
Data Centers and Air Quality
By Whitney Pipkin
The data centers that support web traffic—and the increasing use of artificial intelligence— run 24 hours a day. So, like grocery stores or hospitals, these facilities have generators that are intended to run only during emergencies.
Such emergencies are not unthinkable. In the summer of 2025, for example, a fire knocked out an electrical substation in the midst of Data Center Alley in Loudoun County, VA. The outage caused data centers served by that station to use backup power for “several days,” according to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
Some people are concerned about the cumulative impact that similar localized or regional power emergencies could have on air pollution, especially in the Chesapeake Bay region, where data center growth has put unprecedented strain on the power grid.
Depending on its size, a data center can be equipped with dozens or hundreds of tractor trailer-sized generators largely running on diesel or natural gas. Burning these fossil fuels for power emits pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, and carbon dioxide. Some of these pose risks to human health while others degrade air quality in general, affecting the environment and the water where pollutants eventually flow.
The global race to build the infrastructure enabling AI is fueling a rash of new data centers that use exponentially more power than their predecessors. And, the more power they use, the more backup power they need.
Virginia’s DEQ requires air permits for the generators. The permits allow them to kick on periodically for 15- or 30-minute increments to ensure they will work in an emergency. They also restrict when those tests can occur, avoiding hours when heavy commuter traffic is also contributing to air pollution, for example.
DEQ officials wrote in an email to the Chesapeake Bay Journal in September 2025 that it has issued permits for 5447 data center generators in Loudoun County alone. Together, they have the capacity to provide more than 13.6 gigawatts of power. For comparison, the North Anna Nuclear Generating Station in Louisa County, VA, has the capacity to produce 1.8 gigawatts of power.
DEQ officials said their database does not break down the generators by the types of fuel they use or by the
# Data center in Ashburn, VA. Photo By Hugh Kenny, Courtesy Bay Journal
Discover it all at Herringtonharbour.com
amount of pollutants each emits. There is some variation among units.
A DEQ guidance document states that “while the vast majority of the existing Virginia gen-set fleet is currently diesel-fired, there are cleaner and more efficient technologies available.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses a tiered system for regulating non-road diesel engines. Tier I means the machine has the least permissible pollution reductions, and Tier IV means it meets the highest pollution reduction standards.
As of January 2026, facilities can use their Tier II generators during planned power outages if they receive less than 15 days advance notice of the outage. The facilities must also document when, where, why, and how long each generator is activated.
State or local governments can choose to require higher tiers of pollution removal from a project or industry, especially when the technology is proven to be available. But such requirements can be costly to an industry that still has a choice of locations for new projects.
Christie Sayes, a professor of environmental science at Baylor University, said the resistance to costlier, cleaner technologies is not limited to data centers.
“In airplanes and cars, catalytic converters exist that are really efficient,” Sayes said. “But in a race to the bottom to make the most inexpensive vehicle,
we don’t use that technology to limit pollution.”
Even so, Loudoun County Supervisor Michael Turner says he’s ready to require more of data centers wanting to locate in the county, which is already home to the highest concentration of them in the world. The county’s board earlier this year ended by-right development of land for data centers so that every data center project must be approved by its members. Turner would like to see more requirements made of the generators that accompany each project.
“Within the data industry, I’m sure I’m known as the Tier IV-generator guy,” Turner said of his desire for data center generators to use the best available pollution controls.
Doing so could have other advantages for an uncertain energy future in which onsite power generation could be important. One data center company is now using Tier IV natural gas-fired combustion turbines as a main power source, in addition to diesel backup generators. Vantage began building onsite power generation after being told by Dominion Energy in 2022 that its $1 billion project would not be able to get power from the constrained grid for up to three years.
The summer of 2022 was a tipping point for the data center power crunch in Virginia. State regulators proposed allowing Northern Virginia data centers to use backup generators
in a more continuous manner for a fivemonth period when energy “transmission problems” were anticipated. Local homeowners’ associations that already opposed data center projects quickly coalesced to contest the proposal. The industry ended up asking regulators to rescind it.
But the power demands have only grown since then, especially as more hyperscale data centers enabling AI come online. The region faced another test of its grid when power demand for cooling reached record highs during heat waves in the summer of 2025. PJM Interconnection, which manages the northeastern energy grid, issued permission in late June 2025 for places with high power consumption to use backup systems to prevent blackouts.
A report commissioned by Virginia’s General Assembly in 2024 found that backup generators emit harmful pollutants but that “existing regulations largely curb adverse impacts.” It acknowledges, though, that a “worst-case” scenario involving a widespread power outage could cause hundreds of generators to start up in a concentrated area, fouling regional air quality.
“I think the thing that will get everybody’s attention is when Northern Virginia blacks out or the grid fails,” Turner said. “I think we’ve come closer to that [in 2025] than we have before.”
This article first appeared in the Chesapeake Bay Journal (bayjournal.com). Stay tuned to the next two parts in our July and August issues.
# A cyclist passes diesel generators at an Amazon Web Services data center in Ashburn, VA, in 2025.
Photo by Lauren Hines-Acosta
By Mike Pitchford, Jim Kizziar, and Frank Slattery
Making YOUR BOaT New Again!
You would have to be living under a rock to have missed the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of our Declaration of Independence. Assuming you have not been so housed, you also know that a variety of events, from solemn remembrances to celebratory festivals, are ahead of us.
A fleet of international ships from the age of sail will assemble to help us mark the anniversary. That fleet, joined under the banner of Sail250 America, has wrapped up their first United States stop, New Orleans. By the middle of June, they will gather in the Lynnhaven Anchorage, off Virginia Beach, awaiting their grand formal entrance into the Chesapeake Bay.
The Bay will be blessed with two main ports of call for the visiting Sail250 fleet, Norfolk from June 19 to 23 and Baltimore from June 25 to 28. In addition, some of the fleet will visit other Southern Bay ports including Alexandria, Cape Charles, Chesapeake, Hampton, Onancock, Portsmouth, Richmond, Smithfield, and Yorktown. As you can imagine, there will be landside festivals adjoining the tall ship visits on the Bay. More on those festivals later. Let’s talk ships!
The lead ship in this amazing fleet of sail is the United States Coast barque Eagle. Built in Germany and commissioned the Horst Wessel in 1936, she was taken as war reparations after World War II. This is a common story. Most of this fleet of 14 military sail training vessels gracing the Bay’s waters this month changed hands as a result of either World War I or II.
After WW II the Horst Wessel was renamed the Eagle and commissioned to serve as the sail training vessel of the United States Coast Guard Academy. To this day she fulfills the role of training midshipmen from the Academy and candidates from the USCG Officer Candidate School. She also does a stellar job representing the United States on goodwill voyages around the world.
Sail250 will reunite four sister ships. The Mircea, a sail training vessel for the Romanian Navy, is the sister ship
of the Eagle, Sagres from Portugal, and Gorch Fock from Germany. All four were built at the legendary Blohm & Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. The “sisters” will be on full display in Norfolk and will be purposefully berthed near each other in Baltimore.
The fleet includes one of the largest sailing vessels in the world at 372 feet overall. According to the Sail250 Virginia website, “The Esmeralda was built in Cadiz, Spain, originally for the Spanish Navy. An explosion and fire damaged the ship and sent the yard into near bankruptcy. The governments of Spain and Chile arranged a deal to transfer ownership of the vessel to Chile in return for forgiving loans owed from the Spanish Civil War. Work resumed and the barquentine was commissioned in 1953. Esmeralda now sails as the sail training vessel of the Chilean Navy.”
As you will recall from your high school history classes, France has a special bond with America given their support of the fledgling colonies in the Revolutionary War. The French Navy will send two vessels to help us celebrate. The Belle Poule is a sail
training vessel of the French Navy, part of their sail training fleet at the Ecole Navale, the French equivalent of our Naval Academy. Launched in 1932, the schooner is based on the French “Paimpolaise” style fishing vessels, which were built to fish the waters off Iceland.
Also from France, the 79-foot L’Intrepide will visit Portsmouth during Harborfest, June 19 to 22, and spend a week in Annapolis at the United States Naval Academy (USNA). She is a modern sloop, launched in 2010. This summer she will undertake a transatlantic voyage with midshipmen from both Ecole Navale and the USNA. The crew of Mids will study leadership, seamanship, and navigation while sailing approximately 10,000 nautical miles. After Harborfest and a week in Annapolis, she will head to New York for the gala celebrations around Independence Day. Besides marking our 250th anniversary, the visit of both ships will mark the 400th anniversary of the French Navy.
Add to the list majestic sailing vessels from Argentina, Columbia, Ecuador, India, Peru, Spain, Sweden, and Uruguay and a veritable fleet from the home
# A throwback from Sail Virginia 2007 to give you an idea of how many boats gather for tall ships in Norfolk. Photo by Norfolk Festevents
Making YOUR BOaT New Again!
country, and you get a living reference to the age of sail. Okay, yes, there will be waterside festivals, too.
In Norfolk the 50th Harborfest will kick off with a parade of sail arriving in downtown Norfolk at noon(ish) on Friday, June 19. Norfolk will include two fireworks shows, Friday and Saturday evenings. The Blue Angels will do a flyover to announce the parade of sail’s ar-
rival downtown. After the tall ships dock, what follows will be the classic mix of multi-stage open-air music and food over three days, spiced up by those picturesque tall ships which will be open at various times to public tours.
Baltimore follows Norfolk with events beginning June 24 and running through the weekend. The tall ship fleet will be spread around the Inner Harbor as will
the food, music, and fun we have all come to expect from downtown Baltimore in full party dress. Besides the tall ship visitation, Baltimore will offer not one, but two full Blue Angels shows, Saturday and Sunday June 27 and 28.
Find more details about Virginia events at sail250virginia.com and Maryland events at sail250md.org.
The Dean of the Bay Festivals
By Mike Pitchford
Born and raised in Norfolk, Karen Scherberger did not stray far when it was time to attend college. Old Dominion University was just down the street from her birth home, and she happily made her way there, completing her undergraduate degree in 1976. Despite a brief stint out of town to earn her master’s degree at the University of Georgia, she was back home in time to serve as a volunteer on Norfolk’s first Harborfest. Her Norfolk Festival repertoire grew from there.
In 1976 Operation Sail, OpSail for short, put together an international fleet of tall ships to help America celebrate our bicentennial. Norfolk became a stop for the tall ships on their way to New York for the gala July Fourth birthday celebration. That visit of tall ships sparked local leadership to “rinse and repeat” in 1977, the first annual Harborfest.
Norfolk will celebrate the 50th annual Harborfest in mid-June. Through them all, Scherberger has played a role. In the early years, she served as a volunteer with progressively increased responsibilities. In a few short years, she went from picking up trash to leading all of the festival’s events on land (multiple stages and a plethora of entertainers).
For the first few years, Harborfest was a one-off annual event. In 1983 the success of Harborfest begat Norfolk Festevents Ltd., an organization focused on year-round festival events and activities for the evolving downtown waterfront. No surprise, Scherberger was chosen to lead the start-up venture.
Since that first OpSail stop in Norfolk in 1976, the city has seen a makeover that is nothing short of amazing. The industrial downtown waterfront of the 50s and 60s was first abandoned, sparked to life again by the early Harborfests, and reborn with promenades, parks, and people living downtown. One of the keys to that revitalization was the active festival programming brought to us by Norfolk Festevents, whose driving force is Scherberger.
That once abandoned downtown waterfront has been graced with an amazing six-acre waterfront park, a Jim Rouse festival marketplace, a modern take on a maritime museum, a cruise ship dock, and thousands and thousands of new residential units. This landmark urban revitalization has many mothers but only one true catalyst: the waterfront festivals that brought people to downtown for plain old fun.
It is hard to separate the success of Norfolk Festevents from that of Scherberger. Her hand at the tiller over 43 years is unmistakable and thoroughly remarkable. Downtown Norfolk would not be what it is today without Festevents, and Festevents would not be the premier waterfront festival organization it is without Scherberger.
Bruce Bishop, an early Harborfest chair, who has served on the Norfolk Festevents board of directors since inception, called out Scherberger’s unique personal characteristics that made the magic: “There are very few people who are both visionary and detail oriented.”
Bishop knew from the start that the job bringing Norfolk Festevents to life called for that combination. “Fortunately,” he said, “we managed to find that unusual combination of traits in Karen when we hired her to lead Norfolk Festevents.”
Over the years Scherberger’s work has spawned dozens of similar organizations. She is a teacher, an advocate, and a coach to so many of her peers.
Scherberger once anticipated a career in higher education. In fact, she was working in the administration at her alma mater, Old Dominion University, as she volunteered to work on the earliest Harborfests. She has since become the “Dean” of waterfront festival organizations, a title well-earned and so well deserved.
# Karen from the Sail250 Virginia press conference with former governor Glenn Youngkin. Photo by Norfolk Festevents
Offshore Rigging Specialists
Goldilocks Anchoring
NOT TOO ROCKY, NOT TOO CLOSE… JUST RIGHT.
By Jillian Greenawalt
Our arrival in Portsmouth, ME, was gray and drizzly in August. Nevertheless, I was on cloud nine. When we left our home on Lake Ontario aboard our 1972 Bowman 46 Mug Up, snaking our way down the Erie Canal to the Hudson River and Manhattan, Maine felt like a faraway star. It felt like a magical place we loved but were unsure if we could trek more than 200 miles that far north our first summer aboard full-time, knowing that the goal was to be in the Chesapeake for the Annapolis Sailboat Show in early October, before heading south to the Bahamas and beyond. (How naïve we were! Two hundred miles felt like light years away.)
Yet, as I stood on the bow to drop the anchor, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. We’d made it to our summer wonderland!
The weather was forecasted to deteriorate later in the afternoon, so this was to be our final resting place for the evening. Our buddy boat anchored beside us. All was well, or would be, after more effort. This is when I learned something new about myself: I’m Goldilocks when I anchor. I’m looking for the just right spot.
The wind swirled a bit. Even with the bridle on, I could hear the chain grinding over rocks below us. Yes, the chart indicated rocks. Sigh. Foul-weather coat back on, I went back to the bow, and we re-anchored. This time, as we settled, we
didn’t like our position relative to the boats on nearby mooring buoys.
Third time’s a charm. By the third time, our friend’s voice crackled on the VHF, chuckling at us, questioning why the heck we were anchoring yet again. After all, they anchored just fine the first time and were ready to relax, beers in hand. We, however, seemed to be working extra hard. Still new to cruising, two months into anchoring every night, sleeping well required knowing our anchor was well set. Even with an anchor alarm, the knowledge that the anchor was secure with a good swing circle was important to our mental well-being. Not too rocky, not too close… just right.
We loved our three weeks in Maine before heading south to the Chesapeake; we barely scratched the surface of what Maine has to offer. We still say, “One day we’ll go back.” But let me say, the satisfaction of dropping our hook in Chesapeake mud and knowing it wasn’t going to budge had me sleeping like a baby all through September and October!
Part of me admires our friends who drop the hook, set the hook, and walk away. Like, wow! They are so confident! Yes, I absolutely
love and trust my anchor. But once we set the hook, we take a deep breath and watch our surroundings, at least for a few minutes. Is there a current that is countering the wind? Are we in sand or some other combination of seabed that might make our holding poor?
Five years later, it’s easy to say we’ve anchored a lot, from the East Coast to the Caribbean and through a large swath of the Mediterranean. Yet, as we roamed through the semi-crowded anchorage in Playa
# Mug Up in the Bahamas.
Blanca, Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, I worried that we looked like beginners. First try—too close to the underground pipe. Second try—not a good set with the lava rock. Third try—neighbors yelled we were too close! We didn’t think so, but as we didn’t want to disrupt their sleep, we picked up the hook again. Rain was headed across the water in thick sheets, so we hid for our fourth time outside of the marina’s breakwall where the chart indicated sand. We couldn’t stay there, though, as the ferry wake rolled past us in an untenable way. Once the rain passed, we tried once again. This time, the fifth time was a charm… sort of.
Jeremy dove down to check the anchor. Now we were at the back of the pack, meaning we were least protected and had a long dinghy ride to shore, but with the sun close to setting, it would have to be okay for the night. He reported that the seabed was nothing but lava rock; no sand in sight. So, he wedged our Rocna anchor in a hole, and we slept well.
Throughout the Caribbean and Med, we’ve watched all sorts of anchoring styles. Anchoring while still moving forward at a good pace. Dropping barely enough chain for the anchor to kiss the seabed. Not backing down on the anchor to ensure it’s set well. And everyone’s favorite, anchoring way too close and staring at us like we’re the problem.
Our two months in Ionian Greece, for us, was hands down the most stressful, all hands on deck style of anchoring we did
repeatedly. Stern-tying required dropping our anchor in the deep water of a small bay. Backing our boat and home toward shore (and not just a sandy beach, but toward jagged limestone rocks) was both disconcerting and exhilarating.
My oldest kid, 15, would jump on a paddleboard with 300 feet of anchor rode and paddle to the rocks, tying us to those rocks. I would pull in the excess rode, tying us taut, while Jeremy kept us in reverse idle. Our 12-year-old stayed on the bow,
# Anchored to the rocks from the stern in Greece.
in case we needed more chain let out or pulled in, and our youngest, nine, maintained her role as midshipman, making sure everyone heard the instructions. We stern-tied a total of a dozen times during our time in the Ionian islands, and while we loved our time there, we were so happy to stow our extra anchor rode for the last time and head west, knowing we would be anchoring in our preferred style from then on, the kind that feels just right.
I’m sure how people anchor is slightly individualized for the boat and people aboard. When we started cruising, I’d only anchored a dozen or so times. It was important to me that I be able to function in both roles: handling the helm or the anchor on the bow. That practice was empowering, and I’m confident in both roles, even if it does take me several times to feel like I’ve reached the Goldilocks peak of anchoring. After all, I want Mug Up to sit not
too close, not too far away, but just right, with her anchor snug in sand.
About the Author: Jillian Greenawalt’s husband Jeremy learned to sail while in college on the Chesapeake Bay and taught her to sail. In 2021, as a family of five, they cast off the lines to cruise on their 1972 Bowman 46 Mug Up down the East Coast and Chesapeake, to the Caribbean, the Mediterranean Sea, and now back to this side of the pond.
# The Mug Up crew anchors as a team.
# Anchored from the stern in Greece.
Charter Notes
St. Barths Bucket Regatta from a Different Perspective
By David Stalfort
The email from Zeke at the American Sailing Association announced that two cabins had become available for a once-in-a-lifetime voyage to the St. Barths Bucket Regatta. With the cold winter weather still with us in Hampton, VA, Trena and I jumped onboard for what turned out to be an incredible week of sailing in the Caribbean and watching super yachts from around the world race around St. Barths.
We arrived in Antigua and quickly made our way from the airport to the Marinaside Restaurant in Falmouth Harbor where we met 19 other sailors that would become good friends by the end of the week. After happy hour to get acquainted and slow down to island time, we were welcomed aboard by the crew of the Rhea, a 177-foot traditionally built, yet modernly equipped, two-masted Bermuda staysail ketch. Later that evening,
Captain Richard discussed our sail plan, which included sailing from Antigua to St. Barths, hanging around for a few days to watch the regatta, heading southeast to Barbuda, and returning to Antigua at the end of the eight-day voyage.
Beam reaching to St. Barths
The steady easterly trade winds of the Caribbean never disappoint a sailor. This proved true the next morning as we got underway with full sails on a beam reach, heading direct for St. Barths some 80 miles to our northwest. The deck crew on Rhea welcomed all of us to help set and trim her five sails, including a Yankee sail, a flying staysail flown between the foremast and mainmast on a wishbone boom, sometimes referred to a fisherman’s sail.
While some of us worked the deck, others enjoyed views sitting in the netting on each side of the bowsprit watching the bow slice through the waves. Still others simply enjoyed the motion of Rhea and the wind in their hair. As the sun set, the stars appeared above the sea with spectacular beauty as the lights of St. Barths appeared in the distance. We arrived at the anchorage just off Gustavia in St. Barths among a fleet of super yachts following an exhilarating 12-hour sail. It was the longest open water sail many of us onboard had ever experienced in some of the best sailing conditions anyone could ask for!
A superfleet ready to race
Early the next day after a morning swim and breakfast, we got underway for the highlight of the trip. The St. Barths
Bucket Regatta, held this year from March 12 to 15, blended innovation with tradition as magnificent superyachts from around the world gathered to compete in a thrilling mix of fun and fierce rivalry. We looked on with amazement as 34 sailing yachts reaching lengths of up to 256 feet competed in nine classes, including two Corinthian Spirit non-spinnaker classes, a 90-foot class, and a Maxi 100 class.
As we sailed among the fleet, our captain positioned us for front row viewing so that we could watch the action unfold as the yachts proceeded upwind on their pursuit race around the island. Some of the yachts participating in the event included the 219-foot ketch Hetairos, who was the overall winner, the 213-foot, threemasted schooner Atlantic, the 193-foot ketch Maximus, and 256-foot yacht M5, the largest single-masted sailing yacht in the world.
I’ve been racing for many years in quite a few large regattas, but nothing compared to the thrill of watching this fleet of super yachts competing
Tin a unique blend of camaraderie, competition, and sportsmanship shaped by yacht owners over more than three decades. Of course, a trip to St. Barths would not be complete without a trip ashore for some shopping, French cuisine, and walking along the waterfront of Gustavia among the moored super yachts. If you’re on the island, we highly recommend dinner at Eddy’s Ghetto. You won’t be disappointed.
Frigate birds of Barbuda
With the excitement of the Bucket Regatta behind us, we set sail the next morning for a 45-mile upwind beat to Antigua’s tranquil sister island Barbuda, a low-lying sandbar protected by mangroves. The trade winds had increased to 35 knots, making for sporty conditions as we headed southeast under full sail; nothing that Rhea and her crew couldn’t handle. What fun!
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# Dave helps with hauling the sails.
Charter Notes
We anchored in the protective lee of the island and went ashore on small local skiffs to explore the Frigate Bird Sanctuary, home to one of the world’s largest colonies of these striking seabirds. We also enjoyed a stroll along Palm Beach, famous for its endless stretch of soft, pink-tinged sand. With a population of around 1500, Barbuda offers a quiet, underdeveloped escape from cruise ships and crowded Caribbean towns.
Back home to Antigua
The final leg of our journey included a beam reach back to Falmouth Harbor in Antigua where our fun began the week earlier. Throughout the 150-mile voyage, we met new friends, sailed the open waters of the Caribbean on a spectacular ketch, visited breathtaking destinations, and enjoyed delicious onboard meals and world-class hospitality.
Our final stop before boarding the flight home was lunch at the Garden Grill near the V. C. Bird International Airport where we enjoyed a final taste of the Caribbean before saying goodbye to our new friends.
Learn more about American Sailing Association adventures at americansailingvacations.com
About the Author: SpinSheet Century Club member
Dave Stalfort sails his Catalina 310 Swept Away out of Hampton and is an active participant in Youth Sailing Virginia and Hampton Yacht Club, as well as a maritime photographer.
# Aboard Rhea.
# Rhea underway in the Caribbean.
Safety Series Part 3
Equipping Your Boat for Coastal Sailing Safety
By Captain Cheryl Duvall
Three years ago, we were preparing for several months of coastal cruising to Maine over the summer, continuing to the Bahamas for the winter. During the prior seven years, we had cruised extensively on Belle Bateau throughout the Chesapeake Bay region, including the Delaware Bay to Cape May and Philadelphia. This meant that we were always within reach of land and land-based facilities in less than two hours.
However, despite carrying all the
# Inventorying and replenishing our purchased medical kit.
USCG-required safety equipment, we felt that coastal cruising required a different tactic to ensure our boat was appropriately equipped for safety. As we began planning our route to Maine, we anticipated staying within a few miles of the Atlantic coastline. But we would still be in the ocean, not familiar bays. We would not have the ability to tuck into a cove if a squall developed. We would be much further from emergency response teams in case of a medical crisis or if our boat were suddenly taking on water.
Every sailor needs to decide their own risk tolerance and make choices about safety that work for their crew and their vessel. For us, we chose a path that added more safety precautions to our Chesapeake norm but stopped short of what offshore racers might do (see “Safety Series Part 1, Equipping Your Boat for Ocean Racing,” SpinSheet April 2026). Perhaps our coastal safety checklist can influence your own decisions when planning a similar adventure.
Safety maintenance and upgrades
With an anticipated departure date of early June, we began maintenance and upgrades over the winter months while Belle Bateau was on the hard. We contracted several services to be performed by local experts, including professional diesel engine service and rigging. We
typically do a lot of DIY, and that winter into spring was no exception. My husband and I created a five-page checklist with our assigned tasks and kept the document current in a shared folder. Belle Bateau was splashed in early May, one month before we planned to depart.
Our checklists, created with the understanding that we would be distant from familiar and reliable mechanics, included the following:
• Inspect, maintain, upgrade, and/ or service all systems, including diesel engine, standing rigging, running rigging, navigation lights, fog horn, navigation equipment and charts, AIS, radar, and sails. We decided to replace our standing rigging, and two-thirds of our running rigging. We had our sails washed and repaired, painted our hull, and prepared our thrusters and prop to endure the harsher saltwater climate.
• Test all boat systems. We took a few shakedown cruises in the Chesapeake to ensure that all systems were working properly. We anticipated fog in Maine, so we tested our automated fog horn and practiced sailing in limited visibility using radar. In retrospect, we should have done a shakedown with our dinghy outboard, which we ended
# Coastal sailing in sight of land (New Jersey shore).
up replacing in Mystic a few weeks into our trip. Don’t forget to test your dinghy, too!
• Inventory and purchase or upgrade safety equipment as per your risk tolerance, including EPIRB, personal locator beacons (PLB), ditch bag, personal floatation devices (PFD) for coastal sailing, tethers, jack lines, VHF with DSC function, and a life raft. We had invested in a life raft and an EPIRB for our coastal cruising adventure to Florida seven years prior. We also assembled a ditch bag, which we had not felt the need for on the Chesapeake. We inventoried our PFDs and confirmed that two of our four inflatable Type Vs were rated for coastal sailing, and we kept six additional ones for guests. We inspected our fire extinguishers and electronic flares and confirmed we had all the necessary USCG equipment onboard.
• Inventory and replenish spare parts. It’s always a challenge to determine what spare parts to carry. Just remember that you may need to make repairs while underway before arriving at the next coastal town, which may be a bit farther than well-stocked towns that ring the Chesapeake Bay.
• Inventory and replenish medical kits. The farther one gets from land, the longer it takes for emergency responders to reach a boat with the equipment that might be needed. For our coastal journey, we kept our purchased medical kit but inventoried and replenished its contents, supplementing with additional
supplies recommended by our personal physicians. According to Captain Alan Karpas, Safety Institute of Maryland, “When you are sailing offshore but in sight of land and experience a medical emergency, you can anticipate the Coast Guard to reach your vessel, remove the injured party, and get them into the hands of the medical personnel in about 1.75 hours. Captains should have first aid and CPR/AED training as well as an appropriate first aid kit to treat an injured crew or passenger. I recommend the Adventure Medical Marine Series Medical Kit #350. It is described as a boat first aid kit for six people two hours from care. This first aid kit, or an equivalent, is widely available. If a boater experiences cardiac arrest, their only hope for survival is by having an AED onboard the vessel.”
Recommended, though not always heeded
Before embarking on a coastal adventure, consider these safety suggestions that sailors often hear but may not always heed:
• Request a free Vessel Safety Check. To help make boating as safe as possible, both the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the United States Power Squadrons have certified vessel examiners who will perform a free Vessel Safety Check (VSC) at your recreational boat. There is no fee for this service, and there are no consequences if your vessel doesn’t pass.
• Wear your PFD all the time. I confess: I don’t wear my PFD all the time in the Chesapeake, despite it being a comfortable Type V. I do always wear my PFD along the coast and on the open ocean. A few statistics and phrases I read on uscgboating.org were quite persuasive: “Skydivers wear their parachutes... Football players wear their helmets... Drivers wear their seat belts... Responsible boaters wear their lifejackets!” “The best USCG-approved lifejacket or buoyancy aid is the one you will wear.” “A wearable PFD can save your life, but only when you wear it.”
• File a float plan. It’s important to let a friend or family member know when and where you are sailing and that they expect to be notified when you have arrived. Even with today’s tracking devices, it is still advisable to file a float plan. Trackers don’t always update in real time, and they can glitch. The USCG Auxiliary provides an easy-touse fillable float plan: floatplancentral. cgaux.org/download/USCGFloatPlan. pdf
Equip your mindset, too
Let’s face it: the most important safety feature on your vessel is your brain. You can install an impressive array of safety equipment and understand the rules of the road, but you must make prudent and seaworthy decisions to keep yourself and your boat safe. We follow a safety-focused mindset that enforces two non-negotiable agreements: We don’t allow anyone to drink alcohol until our boat is safely docked or anchored, and we don’t sail to a schedule, avoiding sailing into bad weather to meet up with friends.
Nothing ruins a trip like a serious accident, medical emergency, or mechanical breakdown. Let’s stay safe and enjoy our time on the water.
About the author: Captain Cheryl Duvall is president of the Chesapeake Area Professional Captains Association (CAPCA). You may see her at the helm of her Gozzard 44 Belle Bateau or on Watermark’s Miss Anne in the Annapolis Harbor. Email her at cherylduvall@mac.com
# Liferaft mounted on cabin top, sailing on Atlantic Ocean.
Cruising Club Notes presented by
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Welcome to SpinSheet’s Club Notes section, where you may showcase your Chesapeake Bay sailing club, its members, and your fabulous club events. If you’d like to share what makes your club special, brag about a recent club cruise, highlight a standout member, or announce a low-cost educational opportunity, send 350 words and a clear photo of smiling sailors or pretty boats to beth@spinsheet.com by the 10th of each month. Thank you to Argo for sponsoring this section. Visit argonav io and see how Argo can help enhance your club members’ time on the water.
Annapolis Partnership puts Wellness on the Water
Known for its spirited “can do” membership powered by volunteers, Eastport Yacht Club (EYC) has partnered with Wellness House of Annapolis, a community nonprofit that supports cancer patients and their families with non-medical support services, to offer Wellness on the Water, a collaborative program in which EYC volunteer captains and crews share their boats and love of the water to give Wellness House members, caregivers, and families spiritlifting outings that bring relaxation, fun, and healing.
The 2026 program launches on Tuesday, June 9. The day will start with lunch at EYC followed by an afternoon trimming the sails, taking the helm on a powerboat, or simply sitting back and soaking up the deep relaxation of cruising. Most Wellness House members do not have access to the peace and serenity of being on the water, and they find that a Wellness on the Water cruise is a transformative, joy-filled event that brings smiles, deep breaths of appreciation, and camaraderie. Thanks to the
generosity of more than 45 volunteer EYC captains and crews last season, nearly 150 Wellness House members and their guests enjoyed an afternoon of carefree boating.
One EYC captain says, “I really look forward to Wellness on the Water cruises. I meet wonderful people who deeply enjoy what I love most—being on
# Wellness on the Water cruises bring relaxation and healing. Photo courtesy of Wellness House of Annapolis/Facebook
the water and experiencing the tranquility and peace there.”
Wellness House serves nearly 2000 active members with more than 30 therapeutic programs that support well-being. Wellness House helps them reimagine what it means to live well when navigating cancer, all at no cost. Learn more at eastportyc.org and annapoliswellnesshouse.org
CBCC Dives Into Summer
By Susan Theuns
This month, members of Compass Boating Club of the Chesapeake (CBCC) will incorporate the Maryland Sail250 celebration with our spring cruise itinerary, which includes two days in Baltimore to take in the tall ships and air show. Before and after the days in Baltimore, we will visit anchorages and ports on both shores. Members can join in the fun by land or by sea as their schedules allow.
We welcome new members Jim Hontz, Jay and Margi Morand, and Dona and Scott Vinall this spring as we continue to build our club, which is starting its third sailing season. We look forward to getting to know everyone as we enjoy the Chesapeake’s offerings on both sides of the Bay.
Next month we will take in the American lotus blooms in the Sassafras River as well as a local winery, then it’s on to “Follow the Wind.” Members should watch for emails and check the events tab on our Facebook page for details.
If you would like to be part of a boating club that is tailored to your sailing interests, please send a brief description of your experience, contact information, and expectations to compassboatingclub@ yahoo.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Is Your Boat Safe?
By Carol Hanson
“Fire in the galley! Where’s our fire extinguisher?”
Ensuring your boat is safe and ready for a day on the water is crucial for safe and stress-free boating. Regular Vessel Safety Checks not only help with safety regulation compliance, but more importantly help prevent accidents, ensure preparation for most marine emergencies, and enable some peace of mind regarding your safety, the safety of your guests, the safety of other boaters around you, and the safety of our environment.
A Vessel Safety Check (VSC) is a free voluntary boat inspection conducted by an America’s Boating Club Wilmington (ABCW) US Coast Guard-certified Vessel Safety Officer. While its primary purpose is to help keep you and your guests safe, it also helps ensure your compliance with state and federal safety regulations. During a VSC, our qualified examiner inspects your boat using an established VSC checklist to ensure your boat meets all required safety standards, including lifejackets, navigation lights, fire extinguishers, and other safety equipment. Together, you and the examiner will review your copy of the checklist to ensure your familiarity with the requirements. You will review the working order of your equipment and evaluate your understanding of how and why each item contributes to safe boating practices.
Before scheduling your VSC, it’s important to review the vessel safety checklist for personal flotation device accessibility and condition, navigation light operation, fire extinguisher charge level and accessibility, visual distress signal devices (flares or electronic devices), soundproducing devices (horns/whistles), boat safety placards, and ventilation and backfire flame controls (if applicable). Having these items ready and in good condition streamlines your VSC and increases your likelihood of a pass.
To learn more about how to stay safe on the water, contact our US Coast Guard-certified Vessel Safety Officers, John Bailey (mpnwhat@ gmail.com) and J. T. Walton (zzz240jt@aol.com). To learn more about ABCW’s educational and social opportunities, visit us at abc-wilmington.com or contact us at wspsboaters@gmail.com.
# John Bailey conducts a VSC, a free boat safety inspection.
# CBCC co-founder Hank Theuns bundled up for the Get R Done cruise.
We Love To Sail
By Mary Ann Gordon
Each new sailing season offers the opportunity for that perfect combination of weather, destination, and a crew that clicks. When it happens, everyone works well together, the sailing is sublime, and all the meals are perfect! It doesn’t always work out that way, but when it happens, it’s pure magic!
And it happens more often than you would expect on cruises with The Sailing Club, Inc. (TSC), because creating a crew that clicks is always the intent of the skippers, who are responsible for crew selection. Their first consideration is to have a mix of both experienced and inexperienced crew, allowing for teaching and learning opportunities for all, and they must also consider the available cabins and bunk space. It all gets sorted with the emphasis on keeping friends together, while providing opportunities for meeting new ones.
TSC has been doing bareboat charters with our own club-certified skippers and first mates since 1994 with a safety record that is exemplary. More importantly, the attention to procedures, boat crew assignments, and daily crew discussions about the day’s plan create an environment of cooperation.
Our 2026 sailing season has lots of magical opportunities. Our June trips to Mallorca, Spain and to Baltimore Harbor (for the Sail250 Maryland and Air Show) are both fully booked with expectant participants.
Later in the summer, we have planned a Lazy Summer Weekend on the Chesapeake for August 15-17, with opportunities for peaceful star gazing and raftups in Bodkin Creek and Little Round Bay, and in September we will take a classic cruise, leaving from Rock Hall and visiting Annapolis, Dun Cove
on the Choptank River, and two nights in Oxford, MD. This mid-week sail will provide lots of opportunities for magic, as we expect the summer crowds to be gone.
For more information on all 2026 trips, visit thesailingclub.org.
# Bob and Cheri raising anchor.
A Lifetime of Sailing
By Julie Day and Ross Rosiak
Captain Przemyław
“Ross” Rosiak began his sailing career at the age of seven with the Polish version of the US Sea Scouts, the ZHP water program. The initial appeal was the navy and white sailor’s uniform, but sailing “was what I stayed for,” he says. Ross started sailing small vessels, but quickly moved into racing Finn Class boats, “a single-handed Olympic boat, physically demanding and not forgiving.” After racing for a few years, Ross began sailing offshore and by his early teens he was doing bluewater passages.
At the age of 16, as crew aboard a schooner sailing the Baltic and North Sea, Ross was one of the few people who didn’t become seasick when the boat encountered rough weather. As a result, the skipper told him to run the galley. “So, there I was, 16 years old, cooking three full meals a day for 30 crew for three weeks.” Ross continued to sail for 20 years across the Baltic, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean while working on a U.S. base in Germany.
When Ross relocated to the U.S., he found the Pentagon Sailing Club (PSC)
online in 2007 and signed up right away. Shortly afterward he became the club’s communications commodore and developed the club’s website.
In the years since, Ross has lent his considerable teaching skills to the club. He credits the scouts with his approach to teaching. “The ZHP water program ran along the same lines as a naval training program—structured, progressive, no shortcuts on safety. What they passed down was a standard, not just a set of skills.” Ross has trained many PSC skippers for the
WUS Naval Academy’s offshore training program. In fact, Ross reports that “PSC is the largest single supplier of skippers for the program.”
About four years ago, Ross embarked on a new sailing adventure by launching Yachtic World, a charter service sailing out of Croatia. “It’s an experience—the coastline, the food, the culture, the whole thing.” Although unsaid, the charter comes with a master sailing instructor! Find PSC at pentagonsailing.org and facebook. com/pentagonsailingclub
Sailing Into Summer with Peninsula Sailors
hat an exciting spring it has been for the Baltimore-based Peninsula Sailors group. We have welcomed several new members to our club!
We were able to be a part of the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show, thanks to Annapolis Boat Shows providing a shared tent for sailing clubs in the area and SpinSheet’s coordination with the clubs. There we met sailors of all levels and invited many to come sail with us on a free guest sail during our open house and cookout event in May.
Our catamaran and largest sailboat are sailing the DelMarVa circumnavigation for a one-week training expedition, where members obtain valuable skills with route planning, navigation, night sailing, ocean voyaging, watch schedules,
By Rick Lee
weather forecasts, and so much more. The 450-nautical mile journey is an experience many local sailors dream of accomplishing.
Over the summer, our club members will do some overnight stays at Langford Creek, Annapolis, Rock Hall, and the Sassafras River in addition to a lot of day sails and other sailing events.
In celebration of the summer solstice, Peninsula Sailors will host a Sailstice race. We invite other boats to join us for a casual race and sailing in the Baltimore Harbor. For more information visit sailbp.com/sailtice. html. Sailing in the harbor is a valuable learning experience with all of the commercial traffic and the navigational skills needed. It is a great place to improve your abilities.
At Peninsula Sailors, we sail and learn together, sharing with one another the love of being on the water. Check us out at sailbp.com
# PSC communications commodore, Ross Rosiak.
# Sailing in Baltimore Harbor builds navigation skills.
Model Yacht Racing
Did you know that there are approximately a dozen model yacht racing clubs around the Bay? The governing body, the American Model Yachting Association (AMYA) was established in 1970 and is dedicated to promoting racing, designing, building, and preservation of all model sailing yachts. The official classes of boats range from one foot to eight feet in length and from high-tech developmental boats to affordable onedesigns.
Len Bose, AMYA president says, “Most of our boats are about a meter long. They need to be a size and weight that the sailor can lift the boat in and out of their car, carry it to the water, and put in and out of the water. A boat’s cost will depend on what level of competition you seek. For a large production boat, you can be all-in for
approximately $400 to $500, but for a nice club racing boat, you can get started for as little as $100 to $200.
Bose continues, “A large group of racers enjoy the project of building their own boat. In fact, builders are a mainstay to model yacht racing. In the Chesapeake region, you can find kits, building instruction, and support at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.”
A good way to learn more is to reach out to a local club, which you can find at theamya.org. Bose suggests, “Ask to stop by while they are practicing; check out the people and see if they are a good fit for you. There is a strong social aspect to racing. Competitors usually socialize before the events and during the races stand shoulder to shoulder. Bose also suggests checking out Chesapeake Performance Models in Stevensville, MD.
Boat?
Finally, Bose says, “Don’t let inexperience hold you back. You will find that each class is willing to help teach beginners how to set sails and tune the rig to make it go faster.”
# Len Bose, AMYA president and USA Dragon Flight 95 class secretary.
Parklawn Sailing’s Season Opens With Plentiful Winds
Spring winds have been kind to the opening of Parklawn Sailing Association’s 2026 season. Refresher and new member training on our two 34-foot Catalinas occupied weekends in April. Several of these sails had elements of heavy weather sailing with winds of 15 to 20 knots, gusting to 25 knots. Since the start of the season, we also have had our first full moon club sail, in-season member maintenance day, and weekend club day sails.
The Wednesday evening Pirate’s Cove Race Club season has likewise begun. While our J/32, which normally races in the spring series, awaits some parts for repair, we have been shadow-
It’s so exciting to start a brand-new sailing season! Boats are launched and winter maintenance projects are being completed. Personally, this was a year for some maintenance and freshening up projects. Our Tartan 3700 Quetzal has been polished up and now has new canvas and running rigging and is ready for the elements.
The Chesapeake Bay Tartan Sailing Club (CBTSC) has been holding
ing the non-spinnaker class in one of our Catalinas, practicing strategies and tactics.
We look forward to upcoming club sails, including a weekend overnight sail to the Wye River, a sunset dinner cruise, another full moon sail, and a multiday excursion to Baltimore to partake in the Sail250 festivities.
In addition to these training and club sails, our members have been reserving the boats for private sails. Through June, members so far have reservations for about 15 boat days, including both single-day and multi-day sails. With summer almost upon us, more club sails will be offered and plenty of dates are available for private sails. If you are interested in joining our club, check out parklawnsailingassociation.org/wp
Sailing Season Begins
By Michael Mininsohn
monthly Zoom happy hours over the winter, and it’s been great to meet some of our new members. The club had its annual planning meeting for the season in February. It was a fun luncheon and a chance to reconnect. New members hail from around the Bay, from Baltimore to various locales in Virginia to Georgia. One new member hopes to join the upcoming Southern Bay Cruise if they can get
their new boat from New Jersey to the Chesapeake in time.
In addition to spontaneous “popup” cruises, upcoming events through August include: a Southern Bay Cruise, May 26–June 14, join and leave the cruise as your schedule and the winds allow; Summer Sailstice Raftup, June 20-21, we plan this event around the longest day of the year; Sail 250 Maryland and Airshow in Baltimore, gathering by sea and land, June 24-28; fireworks in St. Michaels, July 5; a “2 hot 2 sail” happy hour and restaurant gathering; and a Northern Bay Perseids Cruise, July 8-16, raftup and enjoy the annual Perseids meteor shower together under a moonless sky.
The Chesapeake Bay Tartan Sailing Club (CBTSC) is a longstanding group of Tartan sailors who share their love of sailing with club cruises, camaraderie, and sharing of Tartan knowledge. If you are a Tartan owner but not yet in the club, please join us. Membership information can be found at cbtsc.org
# The CBTSC crab feast is planned for September 4.
Photo by Michael Mininsohn
Herding Cats? Best Practices for Group Cruise Planning
Planning weeklong cruises with raftups, marina parties, museum tours, restaurant dining, and more can sometimes feel like herding cats! We’re here to help with tips from two experienced cruisers who share cruise-planning strategies from their clubs.
Bob and Cindy Gamble, members of North East River Yacht Club (NERYC), have been sailing Silver Star, their Catana C381 catamaran for nearly 25 years. Their family grew up on the boat, and this year they have already logged 500 on-water miles. Bob explains, “Most cruising clubs will have a committee that plans out cruises for the season. At NERYC, we have a role called the Fleet Captain, and that role is responsible for planning our club’s cruise schedule. Two factors that the Fleet Captain always considers are:
• Marina slips vs. anchorages. It is important to mix up nights at anchor nights docked in marinas because member interest vary; some like to be out in nature, others like a marina to enjoy pools or restaurants. Destinations such as Annapolis, Rock Hall, St. Michaels, Oxford, and Baltimore will offer restaurant dining options for a group. We include some destinations where our members can arrive by either boat or car. This helps attract members who may not be able to join the cruise, but who would like to come by land to socialize.We are fortunate to have members with residences on the Chesapeake Bay who will graciously open their homes for parties, but we also enjoy staying aboard and rafting in an anchorage. It is especially fun when each boat cooks a meal and host guests aboard to share drinks and plates.
• Sea nettles! Because we love raftups and swimming, we always pay attention to the nettle map at coastalscience.noaa.gov as we determine our cruise schedule. Early in the season, we generally head south to take advantage of being able to swim without nettles. La Trappe Creek
off the Choptank River is one of our early-season go-to destinations. As the summer progresses and the nettles move up the Bay, we choose destinations further north. Turners Creek off the Sassafras River is a favorite.”
Carol Hanson, a past commodore and the current administrative officer at America’s Boating Clubs Wilmington (ABCW), has owned with her husband a series of sailboats over the last 30-plus years. She tells SpinSheet, “We love our weeklong cruises on the Chesapeake Bay! Typically, after our cruise committee has determined the type and number of boats (ABCW has sailors and powerboaters) that want to participate, the committee comes up with an itinerary. Here are five suggestions that work well for our club.
• Provide a booklet that lists the boat captains, crew, and boat names with contact information; also include the itinerary, scheduled activities, and information on the anchorages and marinas that you plan to visit.
• When rafting, assign spots in the raft(s), so that everyone gets a chance to spend time with everyone else, and no one is left out. We rotate the rafts every day. With a large group, we can set the schedule such that any particular boat is rafted with different boats every evening. Although with smaller groups, say seven boats or fewer, even though we rotate, a boat will end up spending more than one night with another boat. In all cases,
since the bigger boats need to be the anchor boats, it can be challenging to put together. However, our cruisers appreciate it.
• Plan activities for anchorages and marinas. On the water we enjoy blind dinghy races and dinghy drifts with appetizers. On land we schedule tours of local museums and other points of interest.
• Each day we have an 8 a.m. radio net conducted by an experienced cruiser to include a roll call of all boats involved. We confirm the day’s itinerary, activities, and changes due to weather, etc.
• At the end of a cruise, we ask boaters to complete a survey indicating their preferences for dates, locations, activities, and the pros and cons of the cruise, to help with future planning.”
Do you have cruise planning tips that you’d like to share? Send them along with your fun cruise photos to beth@spinsheet.com.
# One of many happy hours enjoyed during the Chesapeake Bay Tartan Saiing Club’s 2025 Southern Bay Cruise. Photo by Greg Shields
Youth & Collegiate Focus
Spring Competition
June is a month of transitions for youth and collegiate sailing. As the high school and college spring season comes to a close, CBYRA junior racing and youth sailing camps kick into high gear. SpinSheet welcomes your junior sailing photos and insights for regatta reports, coach profiles, and other youth sailing news. Send all to beth@spinsheet.com
The Mallory Trophy
The Mid-Atlantic Scholastic Sailing Association (MASSA) 2026 Fleet Championship and Mallory Qualifier brought high school teams to Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis on May 9 and 10 to compete aboard Club Flying Juniors. Of the 18 teams racing, the top four—Severn School, Southern Regional High School, Christchurch School, and Key School—have qualified to compete in the Mallory Fleet Race Nationals (for two-division fleet racing in doublehanded dinghies) held at the Southern Yacht Club on Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana on May 30-31. Nationals unfolded after this issue went to print, so stay tuned for updates.
The first day of racing for the Qualifier in Annapolis began with a promising eight to 12 knots of breeze from the south, but as rain moved in and the breeze became unstable, an AP was called on the water for A division. Later in the day, competitors got in two more sets as a light breeze filled in. Sunday was a different story; competitors benefited from a southeast breeze that allowed for two sets in each division.
Annapolis Sailor Named to Youth National Team
Annapolis sailor Natalie Gaver has been named to the 2026 US Sailing Youth National Team. Gaver, now finishing her sophomore year at Severn School in Severna Park, MD, competes on the 29er with Caroline Heersink of Dothan, AL.
The US Sailing Youth National Team is composed of the top American youth athletes, under age 19, in the Youth Worlds Classes (iQFOiL, Formula Kite, ILCA 6, Nacra 15, 29er, and i420). Up to 74 athletes are named to the team annually, with selection procedures updated and revised on an annual basis. Athletes may qualify for the Youth National Team based on performance at qualifying events. Learn more at ussailing.org/teams/youthteam
The Baker Trophy
In other high school national championship news, Severn School sailors clenched the Baker Trophy, besting 12 teams at the 2026 Team Race National Championship hosted by Christchurch School in Virginia on May 15-17 at the school’s waterfront campus on the Rappahannock River. Sailing for Severn School (Severna Park, MD) were skippers Annie Sitzmann ’26, Alex Baker ’26, Harrison Szot ’27, and Will Mohler ’27, with crews Annabelle Ulak ’26, Ana Fishback ’27, Georgia Knoepfle ’29, Hudson Grow ’28, and Charlotte MacDonald ‘26. The Admirals’ senior sailors named here are all headed to college sailing teams next year: Sitzmann-Stanford, Baker-Georgetown, Ulak-Cornell, and MacDonald-Boston College.
Friday began with breeze at seven to 10 mph, with higher gusts; however, racing was called when significant wind shifts brought 90-degree oscillations and lulls. Saturday brought south-southeast winds at seven to 15 mph, though wind oscillations continued and low tides resulted in moving the course further offshore. On Sunday, after little to no breeze in the morning, winds built to 10 mph with gusts in the teens for some great racing.
June CBYRA Junior Events
29er Clinic at West River Sailing Club, June 12-14
Commonwealth Cup VA/ State Championship hosted by Fishing Bay Yacht Club, June 20-21
Norfolk Yacht and Country Club Annual Junior Regatta, June 23
Hampton Yacht Club Junior Annual Regatta and USODA Chesapeake Bay Championship, June 25-26
Maryland State Championship at West River Sailing Club, June 29 Annapolis Yacht Club Junior Annual Regatta, June 30
Find more junior sailing information at cbyra.org/junior-sailing-2.
# Severn School sailors celebrate clinching the Baker Trophy. Photo courtesy of Severn Sailing Association/Facebook
# At the Mallory Qualifiers, Key School sailors earned a spot in the high school sailing nationals. Photo courtesy of AnnapolisYCJrSailing/Facebook
A Sporty, Exhilarating Helly Hansen Sailing World Series
Recently, a sailor stopped me to say, “Sailing World really needs to go back to calling that regatta the NOOD. They have a branding issue.” Do they? Change is hard. But in the year 2026, when a regatta pulls in 217 competing teams, they don’t have issues—they have parties! For the three-day, windy, delightful Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series Annapolis (HHSW), May 1-3, the racing and parties proved to be excellent.
Annapolis skipper J.R. Maxwell crushed it in the 21-boat J/80 class, which held its East Coast Championship (ECC) concurrently with the HHSW. The winning Scamp team included Rich Formica (main trimmer), Jack Field (jib and spinnaker trimmer), and Will Cox (bow).
“This was the first time all four of us have sailed together. It was exciting to be able to come out on top,” says Maxwell. “Great teamwork and communication on boat speed, tactics, and wind shifts.”
# Marek Zaleski on Team Z topped the 19-boat Viper fleet, winning the Atlantic Coast Championship.
Maxwell competed aboard the J/22 Scooby for 14 years, winning both the ECC and Mid-Atlantic Championship three times. He bought the J/80 in 2021 to have more space to frostbite with his wife and three children. Although he’s won the HHSW before (it’s his favorite regatta of the year), this was his first J/80 ECC win.
“Competition is very strong in the J/80 fleet. Black Sheep, Tubby, Turbo Sloth, and others are fast,” he says.
Brad Julian and his J/22 Yard Sale team, Matthew Schubert and Emerson Smith, sailed (as they have at least three times) to the top of the fleet.
Of his crew, Julian says, “They did exceptionally well at boat handling,
# Jack McGuire’s J/88 M12 team proved victorious.
strategy, and communication. Conditions spanned the full range of light air to big breeze with shifts and waves, so keeping your head out of the boat and never giving up were key. These guys are at the top of the game, especially for amateurs with day jobs. I am very lucky to have them on the team.”
Jack McGuire, who topped the J/88 division aboard M12, raced with Dave Jurkowski, Bob Oberg, Seth Mininger, Cam Bowdren, and Paul Luisi.
“We just gelled and sailed really fast. Everyone did their role perfectly. We were clean on all the corners, which helps. We had a great time,” he says.
“Some of the top boats in the J/88 fleet are really, really good. Five of the eight could have won. It’s tight racing and fun. People are competitive and aggressive. It would be great to see more people get into the class.”
Although he’s competed in this event three times, this was his first win on M12: “We’re starting to see results and gains. We’re hitting our stride.”
Doug Stryker and his J/105 Mayhem team sailed to the top of the 23-boat division five points ahead of last year’s winner, Ray Wulff on Patriot. This was his first win on the J/105 rather than his last boat, the J/30 Mayhem
The crew included Tim Russell (tactician), Mike Komar (jib trim and local knowledge), Ashley Love (spin trim), Ryan Dempsey (mast), Kirstyn “Stinger” Roberts (bow), and Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) “junior rockstar” Eleanore “Elco” Cowles (squirrel).
“With a fast boat and strong tactics, the Mayhem team executed near flawless trim, mark rounding, crew weight, and positive energy throughout all three days of racing,”
says Stryker. “We overcame nearly losing the rig when a pin came out of our upper shroud at the deck in race one. Quick thinking and crew work allowed the crew to use a screwdriver to fix the near catastrophe, and we only lost three boats in race one. That could have been the end of the regatta and season. On Saturday we climbed 10 positions in one leg, digging our way out of a very tough first leg. This allowed us to play a tactical Sunday with the boats that were close in points with us to take the win.”
He adds, “As for me, I just made the sandwiches, had the bottom cleaned, bought the Vakaros, drove the boat, and did what I was told, all while enjoying seeing each team member contribute to our regatta win against an incredibly stacked fleet of competitors, and having fun on the water. For this regatta, everything just clicked.”
Stryker notes even more so at the HHSW, J/105 competition is “super
tight.” Patriot “pushed us up to the last leg of the last race. Deja Voodoo (2026 MidWinters Champion) had a very strong Sunday just beating out Velvet Hammer for a podium finish, while Good Trade also held nothing back on the last day.”
When it comes to race committee work, Stryker echoes other racers’ positive feedback, saying, “There were some of the most square courses I’d seen over a threeday regatta, even with the gusty westerly breeze, causing for many an auto-tack on Sunday. This event was also a major push for new technology with the use of Vakaros RaceSense. Both the J/105 Fleet 3 and the AYC race committee worked over the winter to prepare for this event with all J/105s committing to buy a Vakaros Atlas 2 and AYC committing to acquire and train on the needed RaceSense platform. I believe it was a big success, translating into no general recalls and seven races on our circle.”
Alisa Finney (mainsail trimmer) and Shane Zwingelberg (helm, navigation, and
# Forget Disney; the Fahrvergnugen team is going to the islands! Photo by Walter Cooper/Sailing World
Maxwell and his Scamp team are the J/80 East Coast Champions 2026. On-water photos by Will Keyworth
J/22 (17 Boats)
1. Yard Sail, Brad Julian
2. Hot Toddy, Jeffrey Todd
3. Defiance, Mike Gemperline
Lightning (24 Boats)
1. Danilu, Augie Diaz
2. The Mothership, Debbie Probst
3. Black River, Jody Starck
Melges 15 (7 Boats)
1. Nostalgia (2), Tim Herzog
2. BrewJax, Britton Steele
3. AirForce, Perrin Fortune
Viper 640 Atlantic Coast Championship (19 Boats)
1. Team Z, Marek Zaleski
2. Glory Days, Jay Rhame/Peter Beardsley
3. Gone Banana, Marina Maffessanti
J/29 East Coast Championship (5 Boats)
1. Nothing Artificial, Alan Campbell
2. Persephone, Michael Baugh
3. Defiant, Jon Burnham
tactician) and their team on the Cal 25 Fahrvergnugen proved victorious in the eight-boat one-design fleet, along with crew Chuck Rush, David Williams, and Bill “Pretzel” Hetzel. This was Finney’s second time at the top of the podium at this event, her favorite season opener.
She says, “We had two completely new crew (Williams and Hetzel) for the regatta, and they did a fabulous job of performing seamlessly as part of the team. The crew was able to maintain focus and perform accurate gear changes in accordance with continuous wind fluctuations. We could not have accomplished that without Shane’s impeccable coaching, driving, tactician, and navigational skills. Shane’s current reading on Saturday and his ability to anticipate the wind fluctuations on Sunday were key in our overall victory.”
“’The boat felt great,’ Shane said afterwards. We were all dialed in as a team. Chuck’s jib trim was flawless as
HHSW 2026 Top Three Results
J/30 (5 Boats)
1. Avita, Dan Watson
2. Vallhalla’s Shamrock, Valhalla Sailing
3. Blitz, James McGinnis
J/80 East Coast Championship (21 Boats)
1. Scamp, J.R. Maxwell
2. Black Sheep, Mike Beasley
3. Tubby, Jesse Thompson
J/88 (One Design - 8 Boats)
1. MI2, Jack McGuire
2. Exile, Andy Graff
3. Whirlwind, William Purdy
Melges 24 (5 Boats)
1. One Trick Pony, David and Jacki Meiser
2. Notus, R.J. Cooper
3. Jocko Flocko, Carter Miller
J/105 (23 Boats)
1. Mayhem, Doug Stryker
2. Patriot, Ray Wulff
3. Deja Voodoo, Bill Zartler
J/70 (33 Boats)
1. Wild Card, Kevin Morgan
2. Hedgehog, Alec Cutler
3. Savasana, Brian Keane
always, and my mainsail trim was at the top of my game both days. It was a very sporty weekend, and all the crew never stopped micro adjustments and titrations that eventually allowed us to pull away from the fleet and make the bullet twice.”
When it comes to the awards parties, Finney says, “The energy in the room was palpable with exhilaration from the sporty competition… There’s nothing like being in a room full of people who share your passion. Winning the HHSW British Virgin Island (BVI) trip drawing was unbelievable! I was shocked when I heard them calling ‘Fahrvergnugen’ and my name. I had just told Chuck not 10 minutes earlier, that I was ‘feeling lucky today.’”
Solomons sailor David Meiser, his wife Jacki, and team on the new-tothem Melges 24 One Trick Pony were lucky to win their class (their first-ever HHSA win), but unlucky to have
Cal 25 (8 Boats)
1. Fahrvergnugen, Alisa Finney/ Zwingelberg
2. Arctic Tern, H. Marie Harkenrider
3. White Cap, Dan Buan
PHRF (8 Boats)
1. Aunt Jean, James Sagerholm
2. Time Machine, Bruce Irvin
3. J7, Gary Jobson
Harbor 20 Sat/Sun (20 Boats)
1. Skimmer, Podlich/Trogdon
2. Riptide, Ed/Holger Freitag/ Hinsch
3. Lemon Pi, Aden King
J/24 (8 Boats)
1. Sisu, Kj Wolaver and Madeline Henry
2. Buxton, Peter Rich
3. Rush Hour, Patrick FitzGerald
Waszp (6 Boats)
1. Blue Bullet, Ethan Thompson
2. N/A, Daniel Draper
3. Best Boating AnnapolisRed Rocket, Shane Kilberg
missed their boat name being pulled out of the Caribbean regatta hat at the party’s end.
Of the on-water success, Meiser says, “The competition was perfect for us. It was not loaded with rockstars, as some Melges regattas are, but it was good competition to gauge how we were as we had just gotten the boat two weeks prior.”
When the team left the party early to pack up their boat, they learned later that they’d missed the random drawing and their chance to go to the fall BVI event. They’ll never make that mistake again!
AYC hosts the HHSW every year with assistance on and off the water from Eastport Yacht Club and Severn Sailing Association. Learn more at sailingworld.com/regattaseries-annapolis. Find photos by Will Keyworth at spinsheet.com/photos. ~M.W.
A Spicy AYC Spring Race to Oxford
On May 9, Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) hosted its Spring Race to Oxford on a breezy Saturday morning with southerly winds in the low teens and gusting upward. Fifty-one teams competed in this annual spring favorite. Find full results at Yachtscoring and photos by Ted Morgan at spinsheet.com/photos.
Top Three Results
ORC 1 (10 Boats)
1. Tenacious, David Bond
2. Reindeer, Tony Parker
3. Zuul, Benedict Capuco
ORC 2 (8 Boats)
1. Mayhem, Doug Stryker
2. Mama Tried, Andrew Noel
3. Lightfoot, David Puckett
ORC 3 (12 Boats)
1. Sugar, Elliott Crooke
2. Country Squire, John and Kevin White
3. Starbird, Frank Martien
ORC Performance Cruiser (5 Boats)
1. ReJoyce, Dennis Glackin
2. Cordelia, Nick Simpson
3. Whatshername, Dave Sossamon
PHRF A (4 Boats)
1. Crocodile, Scott Ward
2. StoweAway, Steven Director
3. Pale Blue Eyes, Eric Allen
PHRF B/C (6 Boats)
1. Orion, Jon Opert
2. Persephone, Michael Baugh
3. Mirage, Jerry Lee
Multihull (6 Boats)
1. Cloud Splitter, Jeffrey Ackley
2. Triple Threat, Timothy Lyons
3. DualForce, Drew Conboy
# Four sailors, one bottle of booze (bourbon?), one cell phone. They call this boat Mama Tried for a reason... and they placed second.
# Thumbs up to another windy day! Photos by Ted Morgan
EWE Spirit Cup Breaks Records
In its sixth annual running, the EWE Spirit Cup broke its own records: more registered teams (53), more funds raised ($46,000 and counting), and more wind (mid-teens with higher gusts). The Sailing Club of the Chesapeake and the EWE Spirit Foundation co-host this fun pursuit race in which the on-water competition is just as fierce as the on-land team fundraising challenge.
Jay Sterne was the top fundraiser in 2026, with his team raising more than $3000. Ashley Love not only raced her Melges 15 but also had the most donors on her fundraising team, raising nearly $1000.
The J/105 Syndicate had the most kids onboard with four junior sailors, including two-year-old Harrison. Dani Fontanellas won the best “stepping out” shirt award and a bottle of tequila.
The awards party powered by Forward Beer was a great time to debrief the excitement on the water and remembering Geoff Ewenson. Most importantly, at the party the EWE Spirit Foundation made three $10,000 grants to organizations doing excellent work in the community:
• Anne Arundel County Food Bank—It gives millions of pounds of food to families that need it (yes millions!). The majority of the adults receiving this aid have jobs. They just can’t keep up with the rising cost of food.
• The Light House—It provides housing for the homeless but also helps families find affordable housing and at times help with shortfalls in cash to pay rent. It also has a food pantry and provides workforce training.
• Joy Grows—A new non-profit that is establishing community gardens in Annapolis. From their website: “Fresh veggies for everyone. Our neighbors desire access to the health benefits of garden-fresh vegetables, but face barriers. Our current focus is helping Annapolis’s
public housing neighborhoods eliminate barriers by building gardens that are a few steps away. We plan to grow our community farming activities until everyone in Annapolis is participating.”
The EWE Spirit Foundation is excited that this event keeps growing the competitor numbers and money raised to help those in need right here in our community. To learn more, visit ewespirit. org. Find photos by Ted Morgan at spinsheet.com/photos.
# Mary Ewenson, Spinnaker fleet winners Warren and Tracey Richter, and Drew Mutch of SCC. Photo by Walter Cooper
# Syndicate had the most junior sailors onboard, including a two-year-old.
EWE Spirit Cup
Top Three Results
Cal 25 (5 Boats)
1. ArcticTern, H. Marie Harkenrider
2. Harlequin, Leo Surla
3. High Proof, Jay Smith
J/105 (15 Boats)
1. Good Trade, Peter Bowe
2. Mayhem, Doug Stryker
3. Crescendo, Angelo Guarino
Viper 640 (5 Boats)
1. Weather Permitting, Robert and Becky Ranzenbach
2. Plymouth Satellite, Mary Ewenson
3. Brass Monkey, J Sterne/ Fontanella
Non-Spin (5 Boats)
1. Suzie Q, Heidi Frist
2. Curlew, David Densmore
3. Bennu, Ballast De BoatDog
Spin (13 Boats)
1. Committed, Warren and Tracey Richter
2. Incommunicado, Tracey/Polk
3. Alaris, Nick Iliff
Harbor 20 (9 Boats)
1. Fuzzy Logic, Scotty Allan/Bill Sutton
2. Elf, Tony Parker
3. New Tricks, Timothy Bloomfield
Top Three Fundraisers
Individuals
1. Jay Sterne: $3130
2. Nick Ewenson: $2955
3. Cindy Kalow: $1300
Teams
1. Team Kobayashi Maru: $4703
2. Team Brass Monkey: $3994
3. Melges 15 Fleet: $2109
# Dani Fontanellas won the best “steppin’ out” shirt and a bottle of tequila. Photo by Walter Cooper
# Heidi Frist on Suzie Q topped the Non-Spin division.
# Peter Bowe’s Good Trade placed first in the J/105 fleet. On-water photos by Ted Morgan
Fast and Fun Sailing in Charleston
For three decades, Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point (CRW) has been defined by exceptional racing on one of the most dynamic and challenging harbors in the country. But what truly sets a regatta unlike any other apart goes beyond the starting line. It’s the unmistakable sense of place and the balance of world-class competition on the water and a robust after-racing experience ashore.
We covered the 2026 event (April 16-19) in our May issue, but because it’s a Chesapeake sailor favorite, we reached out to more podium finishers from our
region to hear their analysis on the 2026 event.
Krissy Robinson of Velvet Hammer, the third-place finisher in the 23-boat J/105 one-design class, was quick to respond. The team consisted of Brian Robinson (helm), Jamie Fontanella (main), Reid McLaughlin (jib and tactics), Nick Skibo (spin trim), Gabe Johnson (mast), and Krissy (bow and master planner).
How were the conditions? “The current was rippin’ as usual in Charleston. We had great crew communication, teamwork, and camaraderie. The cotter pin poked out of the electrical tape attaching the forestay to
the mast. We ripped one kite and damaged a second only to discover the problem during an onshore postponement on Saturday morning.”
“Tough” was her top description of the competition in the J/105s. “The top four boats were very competitive and left a small margin for errors… The local Charleston J/105 fleet has grown recently, and the College of Charleston puts up some very competitive teams (the CofC team Zephyr placed second). We were able to attend the J/105 Midwinters four weeks before CRW which allowed us a two-for-one trailering a J/105.”
The Velvet Hammer team was pleased with the race committee’s work: “They balanced the current with available breeze very well, which is always a challenge in Charleston.”
When it came to social events, the Robinsons and team only attended the awards on Sunday night. Rather than face a loud regatta party, they opted to stay downtown and walk to restaurants and bars as well as cook in their downtown rental house.
Besides the racing, what keeps the team coming back? “The town of Charleston, Charleston Yacht Club, downtown Safe Harbor Marina, Charleston food and restaurants, and the weather. It starts the racing season off with a bang!”
# Annapolis sailor Paul Green placed second of 30 J/70s at CRW. Photo by Priscilla Parker/CRW
# The J/105 Velvet Hammer team. Photo by Priscilla Parker
The CHESSS Poplar Island Race Answers the Bold Question
Almost since the primordial prehistoric period of the Chesapeake Shorthanded Sailing Society (CHESSS), the club has included the tagline “Sailing for the Bold!” That tagline understandably elicits the follow-on question, “This being the Chesapeake, how bold can that really be?” The April 26 CHESSS Poplar Island Race answered that question.
The evening before the race, NOAA and Windy were predicting winds in the high teens with gusts into the high 20- to low 30-knot range. Depending on the source, scattered and periods of heavy rain were also predicted, but at least the temperatures were expected to rise into the low 50s, and the wind was not supposed to be against the tide.
As is our tradition, the race committee polled the competitors on whether to cancel the race. The responses came boldly back, “Heck no, don’t cancel! I’ll reef if necessary.” With that near unanimity of opinion, the race was on. The conditions leading up to the race were about as predicted; bands of rain with a smidge of sleet thrown in.
The Poplar Island Race format permits the competitors to round the triangular course clockwise or counterclockwise. Unusually, all competitors chose to go the same direction: counter-clockwise. The first leg was an epic dead-downwind surf. The mix of big gusts and big chop resulted in competitors hitting “Wow, will you look at that…” kind of speeds.
But in racing, what goes down, must come up, resulting in the next leg being a sloppy close reach that quickly shifted to a tough beat, as the fleet crossed the Bay towards the mark at Poplar Island in a building adverse current.
Any hope of relief from the frequent pelting of spray and “edge of a knockdown” sail-trimming was dashed as the fleet rounded the 84A onto the last leg. This turned out to be a biblically brutal repeat of the prior leg, just on the opposite tack, albeit with a few more bands of drizzle randomly emerging from the dense cloud cover.
In the Multihull class, Jeffrey Ackley on Cloud Splitter (Farrier F33-RX) led from start to finish taking both line honors and first place on corrected time. John Wayshner on his venerable Flipper (Gougeon G32)
came in second. Among the monohulls, Jeff Halpern singlehanding on Synergy (Farr 11.6) took first place with Jon Opert on Orion (Hanse 371 SD) taking a close second place. Michael Viens on Specific Gravity (J/100) scored the thirdplace finish.
If trophies were awarded to the true heroes of the day, the winners would be the race committee members Ted Slotwinski and Eunice Lin, who managed a perfect starting sequence and rode out the awful conditions on station in a small powerboat to record the finishers.
On May 30 CHESSS will premiere the new Solo-Cup Race which will only be open to singlehanders in either the spinnaker or non-spinnaker classes. The race will be followed with a raftup, where our band of gregarious introverts can gather and gab. Both racer and cruiser members are invited. For more information, visit chesss.clubexpress.com
Two Ways To Get in on the Action
Keep track of your regattas and earn points for racing in a wide variety of them in the 2026 season with the SpinSheet Racing Team powered by Team One Newport. Learn more at spinsheet.com/racing-team
Keep up with your scores and those of your competitors by receiving the SpinSheet Racing Results email every Monday at lunchtime through November. We share links to scores, racing tips, photos, and the Mount Gay Rum Red Cap of the Week Photo. Sign up for our newsletter or update your preferences by clicking “weekly racing email” at spinsheet.com.
# Orion, Synergy, and Specific Gravity at the start.
Santa Maria Cup Women’s International Match Race Returns to Eastport
The Santa Maria Cup Women’s International Match Race (June 2-6) is a premier event on the women’s match racing calendar, bringing together elite sailors from around the world for head-to-head competition.
Ten teams are set to compete in this year’s international regatta, returning to Annapolis and again hosted by Eastport Yacht Club (EYC) on the Severn River. The confirmed teams represent seven nations and a wide range of experience, from rising stars to past champions:
Allie Blecher (USA)—World Rank 10 (the 2025 Santa Maria Cup champion, returning to defend her title.)
Anna Östling (SWE)—World Rank 2 (Östling captured Santa Maria Cup victory in 2023.)
Julia Aartsen (NED)—World Rank 4
Megan Thomson (NZL)—World Rank 5
Martina Carlsson (SWE)—World Rank 7
Caroline Bayless (USA)—World Rank 15
Gwynie Dunlevy (USA)—World Rank 21
Lijia Xu (CHN)—World Rank 33 (the firstever competitor from China to race in the Santa Maria Cup.)
Kathleen Cornetta (USA)—World Rank 44
Tara Golonka (CAN)—49erFX international competitor and first-time Santa Maria Cup competitor.
With past winners, first-time national representation, and some of the highest-ranked skippers in the world, the 2026 Santa Maria Cup field promises intense racing and compelling storylines.
Come on out and watch the Santa Maria Cup! Watching a match race event on the water is different than watching the America’s Cup on TV. Find a diagram of the mouth of the Severn River approximately where the races will be sailed on what days at: santamariacup.org/match-racing/how-to-watch
When you go out to watch on your boat, here are a few tips:
• Sailors—keep your sails down and just use your engine. The wind shadow of your boat extends a long way.
• If a pair of boats is coming at you and you cannot get out of the way without getting in the way of one of the boats, put the boat in neutral and put your hands in
# Photos by Ted Morgan
the air. This signifies to the teams that your boat is stationary; you then become an obstruction under the racing rules. (By all means, try not to get in this situation!)
• Watch out for the umpire boat. There is one associated with each pair of racers.
• Give the rounding marks more room than you might during a regular race; the competitors might not round it immediately, and don’t forget: they turn right, not left.
• Look at the racecourse diagram, and please try to stay outside the diamond indicated.
• Obey the official boats. If someone asks you to back away or go somewhere different, please just do it without an argument.
• When trailing a pair of boats to watch, keep a sharp eye out all around as there are six pairs of boats out racing on the same course.
SpinSheet’s Ted Morgan will shoot photos on the racecourse; find them at spinsheet.com/photos. Learn more at santamariacup.org.
Bermuda Bound! Ocean Racers Prepare To Cast Off
After two years’ worth of planning and seminars, the Mustang Survival Annapolis to Bermuda Ocean Race will start June 5. The biennial A2B started in 1979 and covers 753 miles, making it one of the longest ocean races on the East Coast. The challenging course combines inshore and offshore sailing, down the Chesapeake Bay and across the Gulf Stream to Bermuda.
The Eastport Yacht Club (EYC) is the host club for the race. EYC and the A2B Race committee work hard year-round to help new and prospective
racers get ready for the trip of a lifetime, hosting multiple seminars with marine industry professionals to help competitors and their boats get ready to head offshore.
The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (The Dinghy Club) in Bermuda will host the A2B fleet while in Bermuda and will provide participants with dockage, showers, laundry, and access to all the necessary services one needs after a grueling ocean passage. The club is conveniently located across from downtown Hamilton and provides hospitality, beautiful views, exceptional facilities, and the best party venue in Bermuda.
Twenty-one boats will race in the 2026 A2B. Join the spectator fleet for their June 5 departure, and stay tuned to our July issue for results. Learn more at bermudaoceanrace.com
The Newport Bermuda Race (N2B), a 636-mile biennial ocean sailing competition from Newport, RI, to Bermuda was established in 1906. It’s the oldest regularly scheduled ocean race and one of the few international distance races held almost entirely out of sight of land, alongside the Transpac Race.
Organized by the Bermuda Race Foundation—a collaboration between the Cruising Club of America (CCA) and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC)— the race emphasizes safety, seamanship, and the spirit of amateur sailing.
This year, 159 competing boats will cross the start line off from Fort Adams State Park on June 19 for the 636-mile race to St. David’s Lighthouse in Bermuda. A dozen of these competing boats hail from Chesapeake country, including a few from the US Naval Academy.
Find our full race coverage in our August issue and more information at bermudarace.com
# The start of the 2024 A2B off Annapolis. Photo by SpinSheet
Sailfaster Podcast
How Junior Sailing Makes the Whole Fleet Better!
Madde Vachon and Travis Carlisle of Severn Sailing Association
On a recent episode of the Sailfaster Podcast, host Pete Boland spoke with Madde Vachon and Travis Carlisle of Severn Sailing Association (SSA) about what junior sailors bring to the racecourse, why adult sailors underestimate them, and how strong coaching creates sailors for life. Here’s an extract:
Sailfaster: What do adult sailors misunderstand most about junior sailing?
Travis Carlisle: People don’t realize how much time these kids spend on the water. By the time adults get to the club after work, our sailors may already have been training for eight hours. They’re practicing starts, boat handling, drills, tuning, and racing almost every day.
Madde Vachon: Junior sailing isn’t just summer camp anymore. A lot of these kids are traveling year-round to regattas, training camps, and clinics. They’re putting in an incredible number of reps.
What makes junior sailors so effective when they transition into adult fleets?
Carlisle: Starts. It’s absolutely starts! Junior sailors may do thousands of starts a year. They’re constantly practicing acceleration, time and distance, line bias, and current. When they show up in an adult fleet, their pre-start routine is usually far more dialed in.
Vachon: Boat handling, too. Dinghy sailing teaches that every movement matters. When juniors move into keelboats, they often bring smoother maneuvers and better feel for the boat.
Do juniors really make fleets more competitive?
Vachon: Definitely. When strong junior sailors join a fleet, everybody gets sharper. Starts get tighter. People pay more attention to tuning and technique. It pushes experienced sailors to learn new tricks.
Carlisle: You’ll see adult sailors realize they can’t just rely on experience anymore. The juniors bring intensity and repetition that can really elevate the racing.
What lessons can adult racing sailors learn from junior programs?
Carlisle: Practice with intention. Junior sailors don’t just show up and race. They do drills constantly. One of the easiest things adults can do is practice acceleration and time-anddistance work before races.
Vachon: Adults can also learn from how juniors approach learning itself. They’re constantly tweaking settings, asking questions, and trying things.
What threatens the junior sailing pipeline?
Carlisle: Burnout is a huge issue. If every practice is pressure and results with no fun, kids leave the sport. Sailing is hard already. Coaches need to build passion and enjoyment alongside performance. Vachon: Coaching quality matters enormously. Most people can remember a coach who pushed them away from a sport. Good coaches create sailors for life.
You both talked about “Corinthian spirit.” Why is that important?
Carlisle: Winning isn’t everything if you lose respect in the process. We really emphasize sportsmanship and respect at SSA. The best sailors should also be the best competitors and teammates.
What gives you optimism about the future of sailing?
Vachon: We’re seeing more pathways than ever before—29ers, ILCAs, foiling, keelboats. Kids have options now, and clubs are starting to support those transitions.
Carlisle: I’m optimistic because these sailors are fearless. They’ll go out in conditions that many adults avoid, and they love the challenge. That enthusiasm is infectious.
What can yacht clubs and adult sailors do to help?
Vachon: Include junior sailors. Invite them onto boats. Give them opportunities.
Carlisle: Exactly. If we want healthy fleets 10 years from now, we have to make young sailors feel welcome today. Vachon: The top of the pyramid isn’t just the Olympics. It’s Wednesday night racing for life.
Listen to the full episode on Sailfaster wherever you get your favorite podcasts or on Youtube.
# Madde and Travis at work. Photo courtesy SSA
Small Boat Scene Minimize the Chaos, Maximize the Fun at Multiclass Regattas
By Kim Couranz
Sometimes at a small boat regatta, you look around, and all you see is boats just like the one you’re on. Other times, it’s a very different view: Boats half your size and boats twice your size all share the same racecourse with you. Multiclass regattas can be a ton of fun. Having more sailors leads to more laughter and fun stories at the regatta parties! But mixing and matching all those boats can also lead to chaos. Minimizing that chaos means maximizing both how much fun you have and your success on the racecourse.
There are three “phases” to consider: While racing, between racing, and… paperwork.
While you’re racing, for best success, it’s important to minimize costly decisions. Essentially, this means being aware not only of the boats in your fleet but in the other fleets as well. Acknowledge that different boats behave differently: Traditional spinnaker keelboats and planing skiffs with asymmetrical chutes sail at different angles (especially downwind) and move at very different speeds. Their views are very different, too; visibility is different looking under a spinnaker on a J/22 than
it is trying to peek around one on a Viper. Knowing your fellow sailors’ blind spots is important. Be realistic about what other kinds of boats can and cannot do.
Speed, angle, and maneuverability affect not only positioning, but how the rules play out. Be extra conservative in tight situations; different fleets may have different thresholds of what tacking too
close is, for example. Of course, different length boats have different length zones, which can make mark rounding confusing to say the least. It may be better to show a boat in a different fleet a bit of grace at a mark rounding and to sail outside of them than to get wrapped up in a protest situation. Focus on sailing fast and smart on your next leg instead. Focus on racing
# A pursuit race such as the CRAB Cup brings together multiple classes at the start line and mark roundings.
Photos by Will Keyworth
# Part of the thrill of a doublehanded race such as the AYC Two Bridge Fiasco is the variation in boat types sharing a racecourse.
against the boats in your fleet and only managing (not getting tunnel vision) your interactions with other fleets.
Between races, collaboration and cooperation are must-dos. The fleet that is starting gets the use of the starting box. Every boat wants to get their line sight, shoot head to wind on the line to figure out the favored end, and to check off the other items on their before-the-start homework list. But if there’s more than one start, and it’s not your start, give the other fleets their time on the line.
I did race committee last month at a multiclass regatta, and I was astounded by the number of boats not racing that interfered with boats in their starting sequence simply to “ping” one end of the line for their instruments. Some boats that were not racing sailed through the starting line with less than a minute to go. Situational awareness goes a long way! Even if you think you’re just sailing through, you’re dirtying the air and creating an additional stress for boats that are focusing on their start.
Speaking of situational awareness… also between races, as you’re getting ready for your start, take a look up the course at where the other fleets are in their race. With a handful of fleets on the course all at once, there’s never a perfect time to get a start off. Knowing where the other fleets are lets you anticipate interactions. If you know there’s a fleet that will be rounding the leeward gates near the time of your start, you’ll likely want to hold on one tack or the other to get “outside” the gates to stay clear of them; so having a good lane becomes even more important than usual.
And, a bit of paperwork. With so many different kinds of boats interacting, collisions—potentially including damage—are a possibility. Be sure to have appropriate insurance coverage. Remember, under the Racing Rules of Sailing, if you cause a collision that results in damage, you’re responsible. That can include boat damage, medical bills, or more.
Many regattas and clubs require you to have liability insurance (the part that covers damage or injury you cause), but it’s a good idea anyway. You may also want to add hull insurance to cover damage during traveling, theft, or other issues if you have high-value equipment. For dinghies, you can often get solid baseline insurance through your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance company. For sailors who travel
a lot or spend a significant amount of time racing, going with a marine specialist may be a better fit. Always be sure to include that you will be racing your boat—if you are racing and there’s an incident and you are not covered for activities during racing, you may be out of luck.
Now that you’re thinking about how to interact with other fleets on the racecourse, respecting other fleets as they start, and have solid insurance just in case you need it, it’s time to have fun and make friends in other fleets at your next multiclass regatta!
About the Author: Kim Couranz has earned several national and world titles in Laser Radials (ILCA 6), Snipes, and Lightnings. She has also raced J/22s, J/24s, and Ynglings on an international level.
BROKERAGE & CLASSIFIED SECTIONS
Crusader Yacht Sales is a fullservice sail and power brokerage company located in Bert Jabin Yacht Yard. We represent premier brands including Jeanneau Sailboats, Excess Catamarans, Tartan Yachts, Nimbus and Nordic Tugs. Our experienced team of professional yacht brokers, inhouse closing, service, and parts departments support every step of your ownership journey. Visit us at 7350 Edgewood Road, Annapolis, MD 21403, call 410.269.0939, or visit us online at www.CrusaderYachts.com
S&J Yachts, Brokers for Fine Yachts Since 2004, S&J Yachts has provided expert support for buyers and sellers across the East Coast. Our experienced team offers proven marketing, trusted guidance, and personalized service to help you list with confidence or discover the perfect sail or power yacht. With five regional offices and a reputation for professionalism, we’re committed to delivering exceptional results.
To advertise in the Brokerage and Classified sections, contact beatrice@spinsheet.com
DINGHIES
Yacht View Brokerage LLC offers your power or sailing yacht FREE, secure dockage with electrical hookups for vessels ranging from 25’ to 80’ until sold. Our commission is 8% for direct sales or 10% co-brokered. We advertise on YachtView.com, YachtWorld.com, YachtTrader.com, and Rightboat.com for excellent MLS exposure. We have ABYC certified marine subcontractors at your disposal, including excellent detailers to prep your boat to perfection. Located 15 minutes from BWI and downtown Annapolis for easy customer access. Visit YachtView.com or contact Capt. John Kaiser, Jr. for a detailed yacht appraisal today! Yacht View Brokerage, John Kaiser, Jr., Full-time ANNAPOLIS yacht broker since 1988, call/text: 443-223-7864, email: John@yachtview.com, web: www.yachtview.com
BOAT SHARING
Chesapeake Light Craft Ultralight Rowing Dinghy Excellent condition. 6’ long. 40” wide. Comes w/ a set of oars. $690 Call or email John: 540.454.3125, jgrees1977@gmail.com
OWN ONE-THIRD of a CATALINA 30 at HERRINGTON HARBOUR SOUTH 1989 Catalina 30 is being placed in a three person LLC partnership. Share ownership, maintenance, and exclusive weekly use every three weeks in a beautiful marina setting. Prefer responsible, good natured, experienced partners. Boat just purchased... needs some upgrades. Ran a previous three-person partnership very successfully! Contact: John Forster – call/text 202.906.9200 or JohnForDC@hotmail.com
22’ Westerly Cirrus 1970 Sturdy British-built fiberglass sloop, 4200 pounds empty. Single keel. Beam 8 feet. Draft 3.5 feet. Main, Jib, Genoa, Roller-reef main. Two 6Hp outboards to choose from: 1976 Johnson or 2015 Yamaha. 6-foot standing headroom in part of the cabin. V-berth plus pilot berth. Ready to sail! Currently docked in Alexandria. No trailer. $5,000 Contact: RmSpiller@gmail.com
1981 S2 7.3 24’ Sloop w/ roller furling, large genoa and 110 working jib. New bottom w/ 3 coats Interlux 2000 in 2020. New Ray Marine depth and speed. 5Hp Tohatsu outboard delivers hull speed. Shore Power. 6000 BTU Webasto Marine air conditioner. Older Bimini. Located near Georgetown on the Sassafras River. $3,900 Contact: 267.566.5851
1971 Ericson 27 Universal gas engine: Moyer heat exchanger + add ons. Double barrier coat, newer harken frl, Bacon main used 2 seasons, newer holding tank, Origo stove. Call for more info: 814.331.2746 or edvartorstenerik@gmail.com
1985 Sabre 28 Universal diesel, professionally maintained. Deck needs paint. New sailcover. Interior in good shape. Currently at Calvert Marina. PRICE REDUCED **$5,500** Call Mark for details and photos, 508.648.2950
1986 Pearson 28-2 Spacious and safe family cruiser, Draft only 3.5’, sleeps 6. Located in Middle River. $8,500 /negotiable Contact: 443.695.0528. For equipment, specs, pics, Spin Sheet evaluation, and more, visit: www.tinyurl.com/SpecsPearson28-2
29’ Beneteau First 29 ‘85 Spacious, highly stable, comfortable cruiser, keen racer, firm, fast in all wind conditions, delightfully balanced w/ 5.5-foot keel. Two cabins, a well-lit saloon. Furling genoa, fiber genoa, 2 spinnakers, fiber pole. Includes 8-foot dinghy. $15,000 Call Rich 703.501.5683. To find more used boats, visit spinsheet.com
SAIL CLUB ANNAPOLIS 32’ Hunter Vision Sloop, fully equipped. Annual dues $950/year. Daily rate $100/day. Contact: 434.808.3512 or garudabuss@gmail.com
Brokerage & Classified
2002 Com-Pac 27/2 Well-maintained & owned since 2004; Westerbeke 20B diesel engine; new exhaust; dodger & bimini; bronze ports; cockpit seat cushions; Dutchman sail furling system; roller furling Genoa. Located at Coles Point Marina, Hague, VA. $30,000 Text or call Becky 540.533.1265 or email allanson1@earthlink.net
35’ Hunter Legend 1987 Comfortable, fast cruiser. Has modern upgrades, electric toilet, AC/DC refrigerator, autopilot, windlass, chartplotter, VHF radio, newer foresail – she is ready! $18,000/OBO For more information, contact: ingomartensinc@hotmail.com
35’ J Boats J/35 1986 J/35 Maggie is for sale. She’s well-known and fast, has won a lot on the Bay and is a great racer/ cruiser, with an extensive practice and club racing-ready sail inventory, a custom V-berth and other amenities for cruising and many extras. $19,990 negotiable. Email Jim at J35ForSale@proton.me or call 41O.9O3.78O1. More photos: www.tinyurl.com/J35Maggie
38’ Irwin CC MKII 1989 Well-kept, Records/receipts, Many new replacements – canvas, full enclosure, fuel tank, air head, H2O heater, GPS, etc. Many accessories – dingy davits, anchors, air conditioning, parts, etc. $29,999 Contact: 443.223.9365. Boat Trader Listing: www.tinyurl.com/38IrwinMK
Gozzard 44 Cutter 1997 Belle Bateau is ready to cruise now! Classic lines, open interior, bow/stern thrusters, hydronic heating, 6 solar panels, new standing rigging, washer/dryer, much more! $290,000 Contact broker Hilary Howes: 202.701.8911 or hilary@integrityyachtsales.com For more info/photos, visit: www.tinyurl.com/BelleBateau
45’ Beneteau First 456 Recent Awlgrip. Main, genoa, asym in good condition. Stackpack. AirMarine AC. 150-gal water. Hardtop w/ 2 solar panels. Rudder replaced (2021). Engine (2016). Liveaboard/Cruising history Bahamas, BVI, etc. $25,000/OBO Contact: 412.303.3996. For photos/ more info: www.us43990.com
2022 Saffier 33 LIFE “Saffire” – Highperformance daysailer/racer. Carbon rig and boom, laminate Elvstrøm sails, w/ A2 Spin and Code-0 on furlers. Ready to go very light Chesapeake use. Sporty, fast and modern design – Offers Encouraged! Annapolis/Jabin. Reduced $299,900 – over 500k to replace! Call Mike Titgemeyer 410.703.7986 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
2001 Tartan 3700 37’ “Thistle” – a well-rounded 37-foot sailboat that blends performance sailing w/ cruising comforts. Lots of cruising updates: new chart plotter, air con, new rudder 2025. Reduced $154,900 Call Jeff Jordan 410.320.5183 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
2001 Beneteau 331 33’ “Maho Dreams” – The Beneteau Oceanis 331 is a versatile 33-foot cruising sailboat offering comfortable accommodations, easy handling, solid performance, economical design, family-friendly interior, and reliable capability. Reduced $55,000 Call Jeff Jordan 410.320.5183 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
2002 Jeanneau 37 37’ “Opie Bea” – Repowered Beta diesel, lithium/ Victron system, 660W solar, new Quantum sails, updated B&G electronics. Proven, dialed-in Chesapeake cruiser ready to sail. Asking $89,000 Call Gordon Bennett 410.739.4432 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
2020 Tartan 395 39’ “Top O’ Nok” –Two cabin w/ A/C, generator, bow thruster, two fridges, freezer, carbon fiber mast, Raymarine instruments, watermaker, solar panels, Kato Davits, dodger, bimini and connector. Asking $399,900 Call Denise Hanna 410.991.8236 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
2005 Pacific Seacraft 40 40’ “Indigo” –AC; boom-furling, cover, varnished teak; Many upgrades; Recent: sails, rigging, electronics, blue ‘awlgrip.” Reduced $295,000 Call Rod Rowan 410.593.7531 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
2005 Beneteau 42 CC 42’ “Gemini’s Escape II” is a 2 cabin spacious yacht w/ the performance and luxury of a much larger vessel. New B&G electronics, Genset, bow thruster, newer sails and dinghy – Ready to Cruise! Asking $109,000 Call Denise Hanna 410.991.8236 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
Read boat reviews online at spinsheet.com
2022 Beneteau Oceanis 40.1 42’ “Bluebird” is an immaculate and wellequipped cruiser w/ a spacious layout, shoal draft, and is ICW friendly. Turnkey condition. On the hard at Jabins. $389,900 Call Matt Weimer 410.212.2628 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
7350 Edgewood Rd., Annapolis, MD 21403
Bert Jabin Yacht Yard
2007/2024 Tartan 4400 44’ Tartan 4400 factory update and refit - New carbon rig and updated CCR sailplane, new sails, new electrical and electronics. Complete factory refit June 2024. Rebuilt as new! Asking $499,900 (over $700K invested) Call Mike Titgemeyer 410.703.7986 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
2016 Lagoon 450F 45’ “Sacre Bleu” is a rare 3 cabin owners version that is loaded w/ all the extra cruising options. Solar, dinghy, raft, power winches, new spinnaker and lazy bag. Asking $575,000 Call Denise Hanna 410.991.8236 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
2012 Jeanneau 57 57’ “Remedy” is not your typical Jeanneau 57. She has been transformed into a true bluewater expedition yacht. From engineered running backstays to a fully integrated storm sail plan, watertight aft lazarette and expanded fuel tankage w/ 1,000+ NM motoring range. Asking $695,000 Call Jeff Jordan 410.320.5183 or www.CrusaderYachts.com
409 Chester Avenue, Suite A Annapolis, MD 21403 1.855.266.5676 | info@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net
2008 Jeanneau 45DS 45’ “Bluefin” is a single owner, 3 cabin, shoal draft. This boat has been well-maintained and chocked full of upgrades. Ready to sail away. Asking $198,000 Call Jeff Jordan 410.320.5183 or www.CrusaderYachts.com spinsheet.com/category/boat-reviews
Leave 10% Brokerage Fees in Your Wake Jay Porterfield • Knot 10 Sail (410) 977-9460 • jay@knot10.com
2005 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 Well-maintained, 3-cabin layout, Annapolis area. $97,900 Knot 10 Yacht Sales – Call Jay 410.977.9460 or Jay@Knot10.com www.Knot10.com
2019 Lagoon 42 Owner version. Updates galore in 2022. $498,000 Knot 10 Yacht Sales – Call Jay 410.977.9460 or Jay@Knot10.com www.Knot10.com
2009 Hunter 50 Center Cockpit Rare fine, beautifully maintained. $284,000 Knot 10 Yacht Sales – Call Jay 410.977.9460 or Jay@Knot10.com www.Knot10.com
Brokers for Fine Yachts
Brokers for Fine Yachts Annapolis, MD 410-571-3605 Rock Hall, MD 410-639-2777 Deltaville, VA 804-776-0604 Charleston, SC 843-872-8080 Palmetto, FL 941-212-6121
www.SJYACHTS.com
34’ Island Packet 349 2019 Oneowner boat, clean & well-equipped for cruising the east coast & Bahamas. Bimini, dodger, davits, new genset, new sails, A/C w/ reverse cycle heat & jet bow thruster for quiet, close quarter handling. $329,000 S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777, www.sjyachts.com
38’ Bavaria C38 2022 NEW LISTING. Lightly used on the Upper Bay. 3 cabin boat. Very well-equipped & maintained. Modern hull shape provides increased stability, performance & space below deck. ICW rig, Furling main, Generator, Bow Thruster, A/C, B&G electronics, Kato Davits & more… $349,000 S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777, www.sjyachts.com
41’ Island Packet SP Cruiser ‘08 Switching from sail to power? Sit inside in comfort & trim all sails at the push of a button. Enjoy sailing or power like a displacement trawler. Large centerline berth. Spacious galley. Shoal draft. $245,000 S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777, www.sjyachts.com
Leave 10% Brokerage Fees In Your Wake!
42’ Bavaria C42 2023 BIG SAVINGS $109,000 – European Yacht of the Year Winner! Fully commissioned and ready for your enjoyment. Modern hull shape provides increased stability, performance & space below deck. 3 cabin/2 head w/ attractive mahogany interior. ICW rig, furling mainsail, B&G electronics, Autopilot, Bow thruster, A/C & more… $399,500 S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777, www.sjyachts.com
42’ Lagoon 42 2018 Owner’s version catamaran w/ no charter history, 2,220Ah lithium, 2,188W solar, generator, watermaker, dual Victron inverters, soft-start A/C, washer/dryer, Code 0, spinnaker, dive compressor, 2025 AB RIB/20HP Honda, and fresh 2025 bottom paint. $430,000 S&J Yachts, 843.872.8080, www.sjyachts.com
42’ Southerly 420 2024 Just completed the ‘24 ARC. Solid blue water cruiser w/ variable draft swing keel: draws 2’ 9” w/ keel up & 8’ 11” down. 2cabin/2head layout, bow/stern thrusters, in-mast furling main & more! $598,000 S&J Yachts, 843.872.8080, www.sjyachts.com
44’ Catalina 445 2011 Super clean! Comfortable accommodations; 3 cabins, 2heads. A/C. Easy to sail; furling main & headsail, electric winches. ICW Friendly. Shoal draft. Low hrs: Eng. 723, Gen. 204. New barrier coat May. Ready to go! $249,000 S&J Yachts, 843.872.8080, www.sjyachts.com
44’ Island Packet 440 2006 NEW LISTING - Highly regarded bluewater cruiser known for comfort, safety & performance. Meticulously cared for. 2 lg staterooms w/ centerline berths, 2 heads, gourmet galley… Equipped w/ everything needed to begin your cruising adventures. $329,000 S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777, www.sjyachts.com
60’ Beneteau Oceanis 60 2016 Powerful & Elegant! A joy to sail. Spacious cockpit. Luxurious interior. This 3 cabin/3 head version of this flagship accommodates friends & family in premium comfort. Many amenities. $599,000 S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777, www.sjyachts.com
To find more used boats, visit spinsheet.com
MARKETPLACE & CLASSIFIED SECTIONS
Seaside Treasures – Bring the Coast Home Shop charming nautical, beach décor and more for your lake cottage or seaside home! A family-run business since 2001. Use coupon “SPINSHEET10” for 10% off! Visit online at www.SeasideTreasures.com or email ContactUs@SeasideTreasures.com!
CREW
Offshore Passage Opportunities Your Offshore Sailing Network. Celebrating thirty years helping sailors sail offshore for free. Learn by doing. Gain Quality Sea Time! Call 800.4.PASSAGe (800.472.7724). Keep the Dream Alive for the Price of a Good Winch Handle! Since 1993. admin@sailopo.com www.sailopo.com
DELIVERIES
Endurance Yacht Delivery Local and long distance. Twenty-five years of experience with clean insurance approved resume. Power and sail. Please call Captain Simon Edwards 410.212.9579 or email stredwards@gmail.com www.enduranceyachtdelivery.com
EQUIPMENT
HELP WANTED
Help Us Get Our Magazines into Local Hands – SPF Seeking Annapolis Area Distribution Driver! SpinSheet, PropTalk, and FishTalk (SPF) are seeking a part-time delivery driver to bring our magazines to readers in the Annapolis area, about three days a month. Pay is based on stops completed. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license in good standing, a reliable vehicle, and be able to lift up to 25 pounds. Interested? Email info@spf-360.com to learn more.
Yacht Sales - Curtis Stokes and Associates, Inc. is hiring new salespeople for our Chesapeake area operation. Candidates must be honest, ethical and have boating experience. This is a commission only position. Contact Curtis Stokes at 410.919.4900 or curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net
Rooms for Rent in Annapolis – Furnished or Unfurnished Available! Shared living area, parking included, two pools, and tennis + pickleball courts. Two Furnished Rooms: $1,350/$1,200 monthly; Two Unfurnished: $1,050/$900. Located in The Landings, Annapolis. No pets. Call 41O.267.7074 for details today!
SCHOOLS
SLIPS & STORAGE
30’-50’ Deepwater Slips for Sale & Rent Flag Harbor Condo Marina on western shore of Chesapeake in St. Leonard, MD. Slip sales & rentals 410.586.0070/ fhca@flagharbor.com. Storage & Repairs 410.586.1915/ flagharborservices@gmail.com www.flagharbor.com
Sailor’s Wharf Marina on Mill Creek off White Hall Bay, 20-to-45-foot slips with water & 30-amp electric. 1651 Orchard Beach Road, Annapolis, MD 21409. For more information, please call 443.336.3615 or email sailorswharfmarina@gmail.com
Boating
Builder
Partnership
The Viper 640 Class has appointed SERO Sailing as the new official class builder, marking an exciting new chapter for the popular high-performance one-design class. With a vibrant racing calendar, expanding fleets, and a reputation for exciting, tactical competition, the Viper 640 continues to attract sailors seeking both performance and community. This appointment strengthens support for the sailors who have made the Viper 640 one of the most active sportboat fleets in the world. “After a long search, we are excited to appoint SERO Sailing as the class builder. During our site visit we were impressed with the professional production facility and strong customer support team,” said Steve Chapman, chair of the Viper 640 Class Association. “Having a builder closely connected to the North American fleet will help keep the class strong, accessible, and growing.” The move reflects SERO Sailing’s commitment to investing in the future of the class while ensuring owners and fleets benefit from closer collaboration, responsive support, readily available parts, and consistent boat availability.
SERO Sailing CEO Chris McLellan says “I have a great deal of respect for what the Viper 640 class has built. It’s an exceptional boat and an even stronger community. Our team is honored to take on the role of builder and is committed to delivering high-quality boats, reliable supply, and a longterm partnership with the class.” Known for being fast and fun, the Viper 640 is a World Sailing class that combines strong local fleet camaraderie with highly competitive international racing, including world championship events. SERO Sailing plans to begin production in June, working closely with the class to maintain strict one-design standards while delivering the quality and performance that Viper sailors demand. SERO intends to campaign its initial production boat at events this coming summer. Sailors interested in purchasing a new boat, spare parts, or accessories are encouraged to contact SERO. seroinnovation.com; viper640.org
New Places To Pick Up SpinSheet
Let’s give a warm welcome to these new SpinSheet distribution stops!
• The North East Market in North East, MD
• Bay Boatworks, LLC in North East, MD
ACY Yachts, one of the largest Dufour dealers in the world, announces a strategic collaboration with SailTime to introduce Dufour sailboats into SailTime’s expanding North American fleet. This partnership reflects ACY Yachts’s continued commitment to growing access to premium sailing experiences while supporting innovative ownership and membership models. Through this collaboration, select Dufour models will be integrated into SailTime’s professionally managed programs across its expanding network of bases. As SailTime accelerates its North American growth, ACY Yachts will serve as a key supply partner, delivering Dufour’s performance-driven cruising sailboats to meet increasing demand for high-quality, versatile sailing platforms. The collaboration strengthens both organizations’ ability to provide sailors and owners with access to modern, well-equipped yachts supported by experienced operational teams. Dufour yachts have experienced sustained international success, particularly throughout Europe and North America, recognized for their structural integrity, intelligent layouts, and refined sailing performance. Their ease of handling and modern design make them ideally suited for shared-use programs while maintaining the elevated experience today’s sailors expect. This collaboration also reinforces ACY Yachts’ broader strategy of expanding distribution channels and supporting flexible ownership solutions. With extensive expertise in both retail yacht sales and charter-focused management through its Business Yacht Ownership program, ACY Yachts brings decades of operational insight to the partnership. Through this initiative, both organizations maintain their commitment to operational excellence, safety, and client satisfaction—ensuring owners and members alike benefit from respected global yacht; builders supported by professional management. atlantic-cruising.com; sailtime.com
Revisiting the Finisterre Cover, June 2006
By David Gendell
This is my all-time favorite SpinSheet cover, and 20 years later, it still gives me a smile.
Carleton Mitchell and his S&S centerboard yawl Finisterre are legends but, oddly, they remain kind of niche legends, solidly in the “If You Know, You Know” category. Mitchell captured three consecutive overall Bermuda Race wins (1956, 1958, and 1960), wrote eight sailing books, and published a series of articles about sailing for Sports Illustrated and National Geographic, but he is not in the U.S. Sailing Hall of Fame, and he was a second round pick for the Annapolis Sailing Hall of Fame. However, those in the know—everyone who has raced to Bermuda, those who seek fine writing about sailing, those who study breakthrough yacht designs—know the legend of Mitchell and Finisterre
tion, was a photo of a sailboat printed in a corner of the chart. A photo of a boat printed on a chart?!? This boat, I learned, was Finisterre. The unique photo placement was a tribute to her remarkable run of Bermuda Races.
That first Newport to Bermuda Race and the legend of Mitchell and his yawl never left my mind. Mitchell was, of course, based in Annapolis during this run. One of the joys of SpinSheet was the ability to assign myself stories, so when the 50th anniversary of Finisterre’s first
Bermuda win rolled around in 2006, it seemed most appropriate to research and write about it in the magazine.
This classic Rosenfeld image, Finisterre pressing downwind on silvery seas with spinnaker and mizzen staysail drawing, was a perfect choice as a capstone to the package. Thankfully, the folks at Mystic Seaport (keepers of the Rosenfeld Collection and the Carleton Mitchell Collection) agreed and allowed us to use it for the June 2006 cover, SpinSheet’s only black and white one.
I sailed in my first Bermuda Race two weeks after I graduated from college, at age 22. This race took place as the most rudimentary LORAN and GPS capabilities were coming online and long before electronic position coordinates were “always on.” The afternoon before the start, our skipper and navigator, both retired Navy officers, spread out the paper chart especially produced for the race (NOAA Nautical Chart 5161). The top edge of this chart portrayed a thin slice of coastal Rhode Island, and at its bottom edge was a speck of Bermuda. In between these two bits of land was the 634-mile racecourse.
Using a batten as a guide, our skipper drew a heavy pencil stroke on the chart, the rhumb line connecting start and finish. He and the navigator began sketching in known Gulf Stream features on the chart. Within a few minutes, the main stem of the stream was in place, and the last known positions and shapes of cold core eddies, warm core eddies, and meanders bloomed across the chart. I was transfixed, bookmarking the scene in my long-term memory. But what caught my eye, what truly sparked my imagina-
50 Years of Finisterre 100 Years of Bermuda Race s
C HESAPEAKE B AY S AILING
C HESAPEAKE B AY S AILING
Volvo Ocean Race Stopover Review
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