Summer Sailstice News & Stories

We're always inspired by people with a lifelong passion for sailing and the sea who also manage to make a career of benefitting both as they share their passions with others.  Scuttlebutt Sailing just shared this story from the recent issue of Windcheck Magazine on sailor/ocean PHD Shelley Brown who's working with our environmental partner, Sailors for the Sea.

Wells Pile, Chairman of the New England Beetle Cat Boat Association, is another Summer Sailstice 2015 winner taking hope a package of 34th America's Cup 'swag'. 

We caught up on the phone with Terry and Allison Canade who were very excited to learn they had won the Sunsail BVI Charter for participating in this year’s Summer Sailstice. The couple had the pleasure of cruising the BVI a few years ago, and Terry said they’re now looking forward to revisiting the region.

Very cool event. The first ever R2AK event was held this year (2015) with the 750 mile adventure race starting on June 7th in Victoria, B.C. and finishing in Ketchican, AK over the weeks ahead.  A wide variety of craft participated - paddlers, rowers, sailors, multihulls and dinghies.  For most of the 40 challengers it was an epic, very challenging course with big breeze, big currents, no breeze, no current and every variety of sailing condition imaginable.

Scott and Becca Stowers have been participating in Summer Sailstice for several year as members of the Bonneville School of Sailing And Seamanship on Utah Lake in, you guessed it, Utah!

Great views and beautiful waters were on hand for this lucky crew...

Multiple sailors celebrated this year's Summer Sailstice by particpating in the Marion, MA to Bermuda Race. Beginning in 1977, "the spirit of the race is that all yachts and crew are participating for the joy and pleasure of sailing, competition, and the camaraderie that accompanies such an off-shore event.

With sails reefed and a close eye on the radar, sailing vessel “Smoke and Roses“ headed into Charlotte Harbor, Florida to do a half day charter on the day of Summer Sailstice. The stormy skies added some relief to the heat and “with just one couple doing a private charter, it hardly seemed like work!” says owners Dan and Agnes.

Paul from North Carolina thought he was just out for a fun sail on Summer Sailstice, but as an added bonus he is one of this year's lucky prize winners!

Sailing with friends is one of the best ways to celebrate Summer Sailstice, and Paulo did just that...

Sailors are a tough bunch, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Anyone who is prepared to raft-up their boat and stand firm in the face of tornado warnings is pretty tough in my book. Fortunately, it missed...

This little club believe they may be one of the California Delta's "best-kept secrets". Well not for much longer. Have a look at what they got up to for Summer Sailstice, and then maybe go along and join them...

South Coast Sailing Adventures in Kemah, TX spent their Sailstice Celebration sharing dinner and a sail...

One thing we definitely love about Summer Sailstice is how it brings people from around the world together in celebration of a shared love: sailing. And down in the warmer climate of El Salvador, a group of cruisers sure knew how to celebrate in a global manner. Bill and Jean, organizers of the annual El Salvador rally, enjoyed the Sailstice with cruisers from eight different countries!

An American Sailing Association Flotilla enjoyed Summer Sailstice with a weeklong journey! Starting on the Friday of Summer Sailstice weekend, ten sailboats and thirty-seven participants cruised from Bellingham, WA through the San Juan Islands to Victoria, British Columbia. They made plenty of stops among the island including visits to Friday Harbor, Victoria Harbor, Roche Harbor, Reid Harbor and Inati Bay. 

On the shores of a huge lake in Northeast Montana, a half dozen or so sailing-obsessed boaters decided to make a splash: forming the first and only sailing club on a body of water “where any boat besides a fishing boat is an oddity.” The Fort Peck Sailing Club was founded by Page Anderson and Julie Burke, who were looking for fun ways to advertise the opportunity to sail. 

How to spread the word? Summer Sailstice of course! 

Modern Sailing School and Club, headquartered in Sausalito, CA and introducing the sport of sailing to people since 1983, hosted their first Summer Sailstice flotilla and raft-up party.

The San Diego International Boat Show aligned perfectly with this year’s Summer Sailstice. June 18-21...making every day of the show a celebration!

Members of Hampton Yacht Club, Broad Bay Sailing Association, Hampton Roads Fleet 30, & Old Point Comfort Yacht Club joined forces this Summer Sailstice for a whoppin’ good time!

On the beautiful waters of Clear Lake, a natural, freshwater lake in Northern California, the El Toro International Yacht Racing Association celebrated the Sailstice with their annual El Toro Regional Championships. The Regatta had 19 boats sailing in six races. We send our congratulations to the top finishers, Art Lange (first), Paul Tara (second), and Fred Paxton (third). 

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!