Summer Sailstice News & Stories

Conch Blowing and Flag Raising were the order of the weekend for these intrepid Sailstice sailors...

This merry band from Texas had themselves a 'rum tasting' session as part of their Summer Sailstice celebrations...

Jody from S/V Hula Girl has sent us a few more photos of her crew's Sailstice sailing in Alabama...

The Summer Sailstice Prize Draw is in full swing and we're sending out notifications left, right and centre. It may take a little time as we have had thousands of eager, happy sailors signed up for the 2015 celebration, so please be patient. Meanwhile, we can tell you about some of the prizes already awarded...

Amongst all the hype and hum of modern sailing it's always a pleasure to connect to your sailing roots.  At a recent conference on growing sailing almost half the participants stood up and said they started sailing in a Sunfish.  So it's great to see the Sunfish class hotly contested in this year's Pan Am Games now underway in Toronto.  There are other venerable classes included as well - Hobie 16, Lightning, Snipe and the Laser.

How to make next year’s Summer Sailstice bigger, and better, and wackier than ever before?

While sailors everywhere were hoisting sails and heading off to the race course, a quiet anchorage or a rendezvous Team Alvimedica launched themselves towards a final leg victory in the almost 40,000 mile Volvo Ocean Race.  As Summer Sailstice captures a one-weekend image of the whole world of sailing it is always great to have the participation of some of sailing's marquis events and teams alongside the everyday pleasures of sailing.

Like so many West Coaster sailors, Michael and Lisa Rossi have been harboring the dream of heading south while working hard at both a job and preparing their boat, the 40' center cockpit Cheoy sloop 'LunaSea'.

Remember our story last week about the "sailing chicks" who celebrated Summer Sailstice aboard the sail boat Persistence? Well, we asked nicely and got some back story about the girls and their sailing adventures. Owner and Captain Joni B, has filled in the gaps about the vessel and her all girl crew...

Setting sail from Clipper Marina in Sausalito, California, this group of intrepid Hobie sailors celebrated Summer Sailstice with a fun sail to and around the islands...

Ever sailed a Weta? I haven't, and to be honest until now I hadn't heard of them, but after reading this story and looking at the photos and video clip I think I have a new mission...

Norbert Duarte tells us about his Summer Sailstice celebration which included setting the main aboard the Tall Ship Silva...

Holouni Canoes Tahiti sent us some great shots from their Sailstice weekend regatta!

2015 is a year of celebrations as the Ninnescah Sailing Association (NSA) celebrates the club's 50th anniversary in time for Summer Sailstice!

The 2015 Western Canada Jeanneau Rendezvous was a great success with more than 100 sailors participating in perfect sailing conditions. Jenny Armstrong from Fraser Yacht Sales sent us this story and photos...

This cruising couple decided to celebrate this year's Summer Sailstice by sharing their experience...

Rick Brass sent us this story about the 53rd Annual Indian Island to Ocracoke Regatta, Pamlico Sound, North Carolina...

The Point Yacht Club in Alabama had a great Summer Sailstice weekend with members enjoying a full spectrum of fun from the beach to the sea...

This team of five women celebrated Summer Sailstice on the beautiful waters out of Pentwater, Michigan...

Dale Counihan, the Cruising Director of the Neenah-Nodaway Yacht Club in Wisconsin wrote in to describe a perfect Summer Sailstice weekend on the largest lake in Wisconsin: 

Encinal Yacht  Club, located on the Pacific island of Alameda, CA, hosted its own celebration of sailing on Summer Sailstice by inviting the public in for sailboat rides, cannons firing, hosting small boat races, running a boatbuilding contest, jamming with a full day of music and facilitating the fun with generous helpings of Dark 'n Stormies from event sponsor Goslings Rum.

Five Clipper 70s joined the Clipper Round the World Alumni Summer Sailstice celebration, while training in Solent, UK for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race...

Summer SailsticeSometimes the best laid plans don't pan out.... especially when the weather gods have a different idea about what constitutes favorable conditions. Ruth Emblin, Rear Commodore of the Essex Corinthian Yacht Club told us her story...

Here is a fun Sailstice tale from the merry sailors at Marina Riviera Nayarit, located on the North Shore of Banderas Bay, in sunny Mexico. This party-crowd staged a unique celebration with rain and beach umbrellas, patchwork sails, and a couple of 8-man SUP boards, and it certainly looked liked everyone had fun.

The heat was turned up in Chile last weekend when Claudio Undurraga A. celebrated the 15th annual Summer Sailstice in Algarrobo, with his daughter and her dog Copihue. While most Summer Sailstice sailors would have enjoyed their weekend sailing on the longest day of the year, Claudio and his crew sailed on Chili’s shortest day of the year, the winter solstice.  

Dan Krier of Marine Service Center has participated in all 15 Summer Sailstice celebrations starting in 2001 with their very first Pacific Northwest Jeanneau Rendezvous.  The event has grown along with Summer Sailstice as an annual tradition for the Pacific Northwest Jeanneau fleet.

A few early reports from Summer Saistice 2015 are in and we've posted a few notes from the day. But we're heading out for another solstice day today so sailing first and complete Sailstice news later!

In a complicated, tumultous leg from Lorient France to The Hague Team Alvimedica turned a last place start into a commanding victory finishing almost two hours ahead of their nearest rivals Dongfeng.  And with that they're celebrating Summer Sailstice and will soon be hoisting sails for the finale to Gothenburg. Watch Captain Mark Towill took a moment to invite all sailors everywhere to hoist their sails this weekend with Team Alvimedia:

Are you entering the Summer Sailstice Video Contest Powered by Harken? Take some video footage while you're out celebrating Summer Sailstice this weekend and upload your clip via Instagram to be in the running for some great prizes from Harken, GoPro, Navionics, McLube, US Sailing, Mt Gay, MyBoat, Yachting World, Ultimate Sailing, and Summer Sailstice!

While Summer Sailstice is connecting sailors and sailing across a wide variety of disciplines and the vast expanse of the oceans we also know it connects people through a heritage spanning generations.  Paul Fenn just posted a story on his blog connecting the gift of sailing, Father's Day and Summer Sailsice.  

So have you heard about the great prize from Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville®? Every signed up Summer Sailstice sailor is in the draw for the Margaritaville Explorer™ Cordless Frozen Concoction Maker®. But what about the man himself? Scuttlebutt is that Jimmy is actually performing on the eve of this year's Summer Sailstice. Are you going?

Celebrity Endorsements

Videos are something realtively new to Summer Sailstice – especially invitation vids. But they are popping up as the event – scheduled for this weekend, June 20-21 – approaches. Here are a few featuring some better-known sailors who will be taking part. . .and a good way to start thinking about the video you'll enter in the video contest powered by Harken!

Everyone who sails knows it’s good for the mind and body. What you might not know are there are studies out there that back that up. Here are a few takes on the subject from around the Web.

We're excited to have global sailing legend, Loick Peyron, signing on again for his 5th Summer Sailstice celebration. This year he'll be racing in the legendary Record SNSM off the South Coast of Brittany which he last raced during Summer Sailstice when he and his crew set the course record aboard the maxi-trimaran 'Banque Populaire V' in 2012.  Last year he then took 'Banque Populaire VII' to win the Rhoute to Rhum in record setting time.

It’s T Minus 7 days and counting. Yes, just one week until the Summer Sailstice weekend, June 20-21. We imagine most of you have already made plans. But if not, or you’re still on the fence, here’s a Top Ten list of ways you can celebrate.  

One of the things we most enjoy about Summer Sailstice and, in fact, one of the primary reasons we created Summer Sailstice was to find a moment in time to recognize, connect and make visible the whole world of sailing. It's more complicated than we ever imagined!  Really sailing is pretty simple - hoist sails, go sailing.  But the endlessly creative nature of humans and sailors can find more unique ways of doing it than we ever imagined.

Are you a son of a son of a sailor?  Or just going sailing on Summer Sailstice?  If so two opportunities emerge from Margaritaville:

 - by signing up for Summer Sailstice you have a chance to win the Margaritaville Cordless Explorer Frozen Conconction Maker and

Beneteau is inviting their ownes and sailors to join Beneteau for Summer Sailstice - because everyone should start their summer by hoisting their sails on the solstice weekend. 

Today's June 13 Beneteau newsletter sent out to Beneteau sailors across the US went on to say: 

Summer Sailstice is a worldwide celebration of sailing on the weekend closest to the summer solstice. This year, a community of 19,000 sailors will be celebrating next weekend, June 20-21.

Well the last couple of weeks leading up to Summer Sailstice are extra busy with last minute sailors signing up and prize donations for the June 20 celebrations being finalized. Hopefully you’ve been checking out the Prize pages and keeping up with the ‘who’s who’ of the marine world and the variety of products they’re offering. But if you haven’t, here’s a quick recap…

We all know that Summer Sailstice is a great time for the whole world to get together and celebrate sailing, but what if you don't own a boat or even know anyone else who owns a boat? Well, you can go along to North Cove Sailing School at Brookfield Place and join Steve and Doris Colgate's Offshore Sailing School instructors in celebrating Summer Sailstice with a one-hour sail ride at the North cove Marina in Battery Park City, NYC.

On June 21, the official summer solstice, marine scientists are taking part in Ocean Sampling Day (OSD), and are inviting YOU to join them!
MyOSD is a global campaign during which water samples are taken from around the world by scientists, together with everyday folk like you and me, in order to help scientists analyze and understand marine microbial biodiversity and function.

World Oceans Day is held every year on June 8, and is the United Nations' recognized day of celebration and action for our oceans. This year's theme is 'Healthy oceans, Healthy planet', with a special focus on stopping plastic pollution. As sailors, we are in a particularly good position to act as ambassadors for healthy oceans - good waste management practices, choosing biodegradable and recyclable products, and keeping the wind in our sails are just some of the things we can do to help our oceans. Read on to get some great ideas on how you can take positive action.

US Sailing is the go-to organization for sailboat racing in America, and kind of the de facto father figure for everyone else who enjoys the sport. Perhaps their highest calling in the racing arena is the selection and training of the US Olympic Sailing Team. At the other end of the spectrum, they are tireless supporters of the training of new sailors. And by “new” we don’t necessarily mean raw beginners. There are also many programs out there to enhance the skills of longtime sailors.

Here's the main thing, the goal on Summer Sailstice is for everyone to hoist their main and make some tracks under sail.  New tools make it easier to measure and share those tracks.  You no longer have to look at the Volvo Ocean race website and think about how they lay down their sailing routes across the globe because you can now do the same.  A new app, Boat Book, has combined a log and tracking for you to post your tracks.

On San Francisco Bay the Unofficial Washed Up Yacht Club will be looking to best their 26 boat 2014 raft up in Clipper Cove off of Treasre Island in San Francisco Bay.  They're actuallly going to be the very first Summer Sailstice event because, with some schedule conflicts, they decided to do it the weekend before the actual Summer Sailstice.  They're getting together to celebrate sailing - we think that's the main goal.  

SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA (June 5, 2015) – For the 15th annual global celebration of sailing Summer Sailstice and Harken have teamed up to inspire sailors to bring the spectacular, action-packed world of sailing to life by submitting their best video shot on the weekend of June 20th.

On Monday June 8, West Marine will donate 5% of their retail and online sales in honor of World Oceans Day. The donation is a part of the marine retail giant's BlueFuture® Fund program, which supports marine conservation, sustainable fisheries and youth boating. The fund aims to raise up to $70,000 with first recipients, youth boating programs throughout the US, to receive a total of $30,000. The BlueFuture® Fund, which is set up through Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, is open to donations from West Marine associates, vendors and customers, who are also encouraged to recommend non-profits they believe are deserving of grants. Find out more...

Lots of new prizes are being donated for Summer Sailstice sailors, plus we've announced the details of our video competition, and you know what they say - "You've gotta be in it to win it!" So get on board and sign up to sail with your family, friends, club or anyone, and have yourself a fun weekend while being in the draw for these great prizes!

Published on May 28, 2015 | Sailing Scuttlebutt

by John Arndt, Summer Sailstice founder