What better way to celebrate the longest day of the year than by kicking off a worldwide celebration of sailing? Since its inception in 2001, Summer Sailstice has been growing steadily with free events around the world and more than 5,000 registered vessels and 19,000 participants.
The celebration takes place this weekend, in coordination with Sailors for the Sea, with a goal of educating and mobilizing sailors, their families and communities to enjoy and conserve the natural beauty of the oceans and raise awareness about the impact humans have on fragile marine ecosystems. To help the cause, participants are encouraged to make a contribution of any size to SailorsForTheSea.org
With hundreds of events going on, it’s easier than ever to find something near you, from Newport to Bora Bora. Just click here for more info.
The Summer Sailstice program is the brainchild of Latitude 38 magazine associate publisher John Arndt, who has an admirable sailing pedigree, having spent three years on the Northern California Marine Association Board and six years on the Sail America Board, along with big-name races and long-distance cruises under his belt.Even if you don’t have a sailboat, there’s still time to catch a ride. The website Cruzin.com offers peer-to-peer sailboat rentals, and the brand-new www.kroocial.com is designed to help connect sailors with sailboats around the world. You may also find a ride by checking out local crew lists in your area. Here are several good regional lists:
California: SailSFBay.com
Mid-Atlantic: SpinSheet
Long Island Sound: WindChecklis.com
Florida/Gulf Coast: SouthWindSailing.com
Northeast: PointsEast
Oregon: SailPDX.com
Key Sponsors for this year’s Summer Sailstice include: Discover Boating, Footloose Sailing Charters, Hobie, Jeanneau, Hunter Sailboats, North Sails, West Marine, BoatU.S., Mariners General Insurance Group & Pettit Paint.
Even renowned multi-hull sailing champion Loick Peyron is joining the Summer Sailstice celebration for the their year in a row.
"I’m very happy to be a part of Summer Sailstice again this year," Peyron said. "We’re busy at the Artemis base in Alameda (California) preparing the new Big Blue Baby 72 for training. The Solstice is a major celebration in Sweden and the atmosphere for the team over the weekend will be great. See you on San Francisco Bay!"
For further information on the Summer Sailstice celebration and to find out how you can get involved, visit SummerSailstice.com
