SpinSheet Magazine April 2026

42

The Little Pink Opti and her Sea Monster Friends

A disastrous storm wrecked the family home, but their well-loved Opti had other plans.

By Ashley Love

47

Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show Program

The official program and details for the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show, April 24-26.

63

Back to Sailing School

Regional sailing instructors share their teaching philosophies and what to expect when you learn to sail or go back to school to improve your skills.

By Staff

69

Safety Series Part 1: Equipping Your Boat for Ocean Racing

A lifelong sailor yet first-time ocean racer shares his process and challenges when equipping his boat for the journey.

By Staff

74

Charter Notes: Celebrating a Milestone Birthday in the BVI

Twenty (mostly) Annapolis sailors chartered two catamarans for a blast of a birthday week as the rest of us shoveled snow.

By Carrie Gentile

94

The Racer’s Edge: Preparation and Spring Sailing Drills

Start the season with equipment prep, on-the-water drills, and repeatable performance benchmarks.

By Scott Nixon of Quantum Sails

Mark Hergan of Deadrise Marine Photography took this month’s cover shot of Tuesday night racing out of Baltimore City Yacht Association. All over the Bay this month, racing sailors launch their weeknight series. We start emailing Monday racing results May 4, so sign up for our racing emails at spinsheet.com

32 Start Sailing Now: The Importance of Good Instruction Interview by Beth Crabtree

35 Stories of the Century presented by bacon sails and Marine supplies

38 Where We Sail: The Ospreys Are Back, but Trouble Looms on the Chesapeake By Thomas Guay presented by herrinGton harbour Marinas

40 Another Epic Voyage for Matt Rutherford By Angus Phillips

44 See the Bay: The Best of the West and Rhode Rivers By Captain Cheryl Duvall presented by osprey Marine restorations

96 Brokerage Section: Used Boats for

Biz Buzz presented by MtaM 107 Chesapeake Classic: Trailblazers: 50 Years of Women at the U.S. Naval Academy

612 Third Street, Suite 3C, Annapolis, MD 21403 (410) 216-9309 spinsheet.com

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Mary Iliff Ewenson, mary@spinsheet.com

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Chris Charbonneau, chris@spinsheet.com

EDITOR

Molly Winans, molly@spinsheet.com

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Beth Crabtree, beth@spinsheet.com

Kaylie Jasinski, kaylie@spinsheet.com

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Dave Gendell

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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John Herlig, Eva Hill, Pamela Tenner Kellett, Craig Ligibel, Gwen Mayes, Steven Toole, Cindy Wallach, Ed Weglein (Historian)

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Walter Cooper, Ben Cushwa, Mark Hergan, Will Keyworth, Ted Morgan, Al Schreitmueller, Cindy Wallach

DISTRIBUTION

Larry Botts, Bob and Joann Bruffy, Martin and Betty Casey, Jennifer and Al Diederichs, Gregory and Dorothy Greenwell, Dave Harlock, Jim Persing, Mark Schlichter

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Risk Tolerance and Trusting Your Instincts

By Molly Winans

“When in doubt, don’t go out.” When I heard about the Sierra Nevada avalanche on February 17, the deadliest in California history with nine deaths, that sailing maxim came to mind. I remembered the captain who took out a crew of 16 aboard the replica HMS Bounty during Hurricane Sandy and sank the ship. A crewmember died. The sailing community wondered, “Why did they go out?” As for the California skiers, why did they not hunker down in their huts and play cards for two days until the blizzard passed?

We may never know the answers. We also will never know if an avalanche would have struck the skiers after the storm ended. But, let me pose a question about risk tolerance: Have you ever pushed the limits while sailing in terrible and/or deteriorating conditions? I suspect you have (I have), perhaps because heavy weather blew in unexpectedly, quickly, or worse than predicted. You’ve found yourself out there when you should have been safe onshore. A lot of outdoor-adventurer disasters hit close to home and make me think, “This could happen to me or to someone I love.”

As sailors and outdoor enthusiasts, we can learn from such devastating events. In the New York Times article “‘Avalanche!’: Survivors Recount the Tragedy at Perry’s Peak” (February 28), a psychologist, backcountry skier, and snow safety researcher, Sara Boilen, offers insights about experienced skiers making risky decisions. These may ring true to sailors, too:

Familiar terrain: Boilen noted that experienced skiers are likely to feel safer in places they know well. Similarly, I’ve seen local sailors on the Chesapeake underestimate storm dangers in their backyards. Home waters feel safe, right?

Fleeting moments: When a skier sees the “an opportunity as scarce or fleeting, such as a long-awaited trip or fresh powder… (they) are more likely to downplay the danger.” In sailing terms, think about three-day weekends or the ocean race for which you’ve spent considerable time and money preparing. You don’t want to miss that because of a stupid weather report, right? How bad can it get?

Newcomers defer to experts: As a backcountry ski guide, sailing instructor, or skipper, your expertise and decisionmaking will be trusted by new group members. In potentially dangerous situations, they hesitate to express their fears. They count on your instincts.

Sailing and avalanche accident survival share a common theme: human decisions may carry as much weight as storm or snow risks. If we as sailors are to take anything away from the avalanche tragedy, let’s remember that those who lost their lives were not newbies. They were experienced backcountry skiers, carrying required safety gear, and traveling with experts. Due to group dynamics, downplaying storm danger, the hope of skiing epic powder (in a low-snow season), overconfidence, or another reason we may never know, they made a series of ill-fated decisions. What a loss for their families and communities. My heart goes out to them.

Group think: Boilen noted how some in a ski group may be hesitant to speak up about potential dangers and how bigger groups of six to 10 give “the illusion of safety.” In sailing, have you ever hesitated to speak up when the others onboard seemed more experienced, or stayed mum so as not to be a downer? Have you felt an unspoken competition for ruggedness and toughing it out? Have you thought, “If the others aren’t scared, maybe we’re okay?” Larger groups raise your risk tolerance, which could spell disaster.

Knowing the inherent risks to our sport, this sailing season let’s question our illusions of safety. If a situation onboard seems iffy (too stormy, too windy, incapable crew) and you think there’s a safer solution, speak up. If you question whether or not to wear a lifejacket, put it on. If a fellow crew member seems anxious, ask them what’s up. Listen to others’ doubts and act accordingly. Safety experts in any outdoor sport will tell you to trust your gut instincts. Listen to your hunches. When in doubt, don’t go out.

As this issue hits the docks, the U.S. Sailing Safety at Sea seminar unfolds at the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (March 28-29); a oneday seminar will take place at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA, on April 18 (marinersmuseum.org/event/ safety-at-sea-course). Find more ways to hone your sailing, seamanship, and safety skills at regional sailing schools (page 63).

Let’s have a safe, smart, spectacular sailing season together. See you on the water!

Department of Corrections

CBYRA made two errors in the 2025 High Point standings submitted for the March issue. The first is a cut/paste error for the boat name for the 2025 Decker Magothy Memorial Trophy. The boat name listed as Split Decision is incorrect; it should be Michael Johns’s Something Wicked (PHRF B, Glenmar Sailing Association).

The second is a scoring error. The correction to Jon Opert’s score resulted in him advancing to second place, bumping down the original second and third-place competitors. Corrected scores are as follows:

PHRF B Baywide (7 qualifiers)

1. Russel Miller, Diablo

2. Jon Opert, Orion

3. Elizabeth Principe, The Doghouse

4. Dewey Melton, Dangerous

5. John Henry, Rumble

Tearing It Up!

Ican measure the value of a magazine by the number of articles I tear out for sharing with others or for my own use at CRAB.

The March SpinSheet was decimated. I am only halfway through it, and I have taken out three articles. Many thanks and all the best for your fine work for our sailing community.

Paul “Bo” Bollinger

Send your questions, comments and stories to editor@spinsheet.com

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.

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Tall Ships America Honors Living Classrooms Foundation

Tall Ships America has awarded Living Classrooms Foundation’s Maritime Education Program with the National Maritime Excellence Sail Training Program of the Year and Lady Maryland Captain Laura “LP” Page with Sail Trainer of the Year. The awardees were recognized at an awards ceremony during the annual Sail Training and Tall Ships conference held this year in San Diego, CA.

Tall Ships America’s mission is to encourage character building through sail training, promote sail training to the North American public, and support education under sail. Since 1985, Living Classrooms Foundation’s maritime education programs, aboard the world‘s only pungy schooner Lady Maryland, skipjack Sigsbee, and Chesapeake Bay buyboat Mildred Belle, have provided thousands of students with “learning by doing” programs that emphasize applied learning of math, science/STEM, history, language arts, and leadership skills and range in length from one-day expeditions for school and youth groups to extended overnight, shipboard, and land/sea programs. Participants experience first-hand how academic skills are used in the real world.

“Living Classrooms is proud of Captain LP and our entire maritime education team for receiving this national recognition from Tall Ships America for their important work,” said president and CEO James Piper Bond. “For 40 years, these programs have provided impactful hands-on learning experiences for school and youth groups from throughout the Baltimore and Maryland region.”

Every year, the Captain Frank Bailey National Maritime Excellence Fund Sail Training Program of the Year recognizes a current Tall Ships America program that significantly contributes to the development of seamanship, navigation skills, teamwork, and leadership skills. Living Classrooms Foundation’s inaugural Francis J. Carey, Jr. Maritime Adventure overnight programs flourished in 2025 aboard Lady Maryland and Sigsbee, serving more than 9000 students of all ages from Baltimore City, Washington, DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and 10 Maryland counties. Fifty-three percent of students served come from Title I schools.

The Sail Trainer of the Year honors a member of the Tall Ships America

community who has made a significant contribution to sail training through the demonstration of leadership by means of empowerment and inspiration. An important member of Living Classrooms’ maritime education team for a decade, having taken command of the flagship Lady Maryland in 2025, Captain Laura “LP” Page oversaw the delivery of a successful educational season sailing with thousands of area students and leading a total of 96 onboard programs. The last time Living Classrooms received the Sail Trainer of the Year award was in 1996 to Captain Chris Rowsom, who now spearheads Sail250 Maryland and Airshow Baltimore (June 24-30).

Based in Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC, Living Classrooms Foundation’s mission is to strengthen communities and inspire children, youth, and adults to achieve their potential through hands-on education, workforce development, health and wellness, and community safety programs that use urban, natural, and maritime resources as “living classrooms.”

For more information, visit livingclassrooms.org.

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

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$ 100+ slips for boats 22 to 45 feet,

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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.

The Classic Yacht Elf Finds a New Home in Maine

The Classic Yacht Restoration Guild (CYRG), founded in 1986 in Earleville, MD, has announced that its flagship, the 1888 racing yacht Elf, found a new home port. The yacht’s captain for 56 years, Rick Carrion, noted that it was quite a final journey for the 138-year-old Lawley-built sloop that sailed the Chesapeake Bay for decades and ended up being trucked north in February snowstorms. Elf now stands in a state-of-the-art heated workshop, undergoing a makeover in preparation for a new life as the flagship and teaching yacht for the Bucks Harbor Marina on Penobscot Bay in Brooksville, ME.

Fans of vintage sailboats may recall the fascinating history of how Elf (then named High Times) was an 83-year-old derelict boat in the mud at a Sassafras River boatyard. When local dockmaster Carrion realized in 1971 the potential of the neglected vessel, the boat was rescued and restored. As he researched his boat’s pedigree, Carrion attended boat shows, including a classic boat show in Cambridge, where he met Gus and Vida Van Lennep, founders of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM).

The Van Lenneps had owned the yacht in the 1930s when they lived in New Jersey and had sailed her to the Miles River, often at the invitation of an acquaintance, the late Judge John North. The Van Lenneps retired to St. Michaels, met Capt. Carrion, and became lifelong friends. They supported the non-profit CYRG’s creation in 1986, serving on the original board. Elf became a special exhibit on the CBMM waterfront for 13 years, until the pandemic and other factors made regular maintenance and financial support beyond challenging.

By 2021, the CYRG board decided it was time to find a new owner. There were interesting leads, but there always seemed to be a hitch: the staggering cost to donate a piece of history that requires regular, expensive maintenance inside and out. By the end of 2025, it seemed as if Elf could not be given away.

The yacht’s story caught the attention of Tom Hollyday, an internationally recognized sailor and boat builder from Brooksville with roots on the Eastern Shore. Hollyday expressed interest in buying Elf. The price was set at $10 and was promptly accepted.

CYRG could not have found a more suited group of shipwrights to return Elf to glory. Hollyday says, “Bucks Harbor Marina is one of the last few family marinas remaining where wooden boats are celebrated and kept safe.”

As with CYRG, Elf will be the flagship for teaching the arts of seamanship and shipbuilding, encouraging young students and offering access to authentic marine history. Hollyday’s marina and the Bucks Harbor Yacht Club (BHYC) have a close relationship sharing summer staff, who split their time teaching and sailing.

He adds, “Elf will also be the community boat, offering sails every other week where we take community members out, free of charge. She also will be available for private charter through the Boathouse App. Elf fans will always be welcome.”

Elf has appeared in literally thousands of photographs, portraits, and paintings over the years; Hollyday’s grandfather is quite likely to have taken some of those photos. He says, “My grandfather was Henry Robins Hollyday, the Eastern Shore waterfront photographer from the 1930s to 1950s. I imagine that he and the Van Lenneps met one day, or at least photographed Elf at some point.” His grandfather’s photo collection is displayed at the Talbot County Historical Society.

After several weeks of below-freezing conditions and icy roads, Carrion watched (with a few tears) as his beloved classic yacht was loaded onto the trailer to leave Maryland for good. It was a bittersweet moment, but he says, “We are thrilled Elf is going to the absolutely perfect home and will make us proud as they enjoy her as we did for over 50 years.”

Hollyday offers reassurance: “Elf isn’t going off on a whim and a dream. She has a real opportunity for another 100 years of living under our care and resources.”

Junior Safety at Sea Seminar Builds the Next Generation in Offshore Sailing

Why do we not see more young people out on big boats sailing around the Chesapeake? This seems different than in past generations where boats seemed to be filled with family and friends, young and old, who enjoyed all that our area offers in quality time spent sailing.

An ironic reason for this may be that the ongoing success of our junior programs at clubs throughout the region has been limited to training these skills on dinghies and/or small keelboats only. As a result, few get the opportunity or the time to learn how to become comfortable and competent in big-boat sailing, where teamwork, practical skills in the boat, sail handling, and safety are important, especially for youngsters who may not have the strength required to easily overcome the loads encountered.

The Storm Trysail Club has recognized this gap and for the past 30 years adapted its expertise and resources in adult Safety-

at-Sea training to be relevant for younger sailors as well. The club’s Junior Safety-at-Sea Seminar has evolved to be a thorough one-day introduction to big boat sailing for teenage junior sailors who have some sailing experience in small boats but want to learn more about big boat and offshore sailing. To date the program has trained more than 4000 youth and is currently held at eight sites throughout the US.

The Chesapeake Station of the Storm Trysail Club has organized and run numerous annual Junior Safety-at-Sea seminars in Annapolis, with this year’s edition scheduled for June 15 at Annapolis Yacht Club. These popular one-day programs focus on preparation, planning, and practice of skills learned while combining engaging classroom sessions, dockside demonstrations, and on-thewater activities to keep participants having fun. Participants have ranged in

age from 11 to 18 and have come from throughout the Chesapeake region. Topics covered in the seminar include: heavy weather discussion and storm condition awareness, VHF radio protocols and use, crew overboard prevention and recovery, big boat deck hardware tutorial, overview of safety equipment, fire suppression and flair use, life raft deployment and boarding, and an on-water session with crew overboard recovery, practice in setting storm sails, and emergency steering.

There is no fee. For more information and registration, visit stormtrysail.org/ event/annapolis-junior-safety-at-sea

The Bay Bridge Boat Show

(Not Just for Powerboaters)

Sailors, if you’re looking for something fun to do the weekend before the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show, you’re in luck! The Bay Bridge Boat Show at Safe Harbor Narrows Point returns for its second year in its new location in the Kent Narrows.

The show runs April 17-19 at Safe Harbor Narrows Point (428 Kent Narrow Way N, Grasonville, MD) and admission costs $20 (children ages 15 and under are free).

The three-day event invites boaters, families, anglers, and Chesapeake Bay enthusiasts to prepare for the months ahead by exploring more than 250 boats from leading manufacturers, evaluating the latest models side-by-side, and connecting directly with industry experts. Attendees can also explore over 130 exhibitors displaying marine technology, electronics, accessories, and apparel, and speak with financing and insurance representatives to help turn boating plans

Yinto reality for the upcoming season.

Even if you’re not a powerboater, you can see how the other side lives with features like the PropTalk Demo Dock (where you can try before you buy), a full slate of free seminars, onwater training sessions with the BoatUS Foundation, live music, and dockside food and beverages in a relaxed waterfront setting that’s easily accessible by land or water. Boaters arriving by water can take advantage of nearby transient slips, allowing them to cruise in, tie up, and enjoy the show and the surrounding Kent Narrows community.

Guests can meet blue crabs, seahorses, oyster toadfish, and other native Bay creatures while learning about the Bay’s ecosystem and about Phillips Wharf’s mission to promote stewardship, science education, and conservation.

Families and visitors of all ages will be especially interested in the Phillips Wharf Environmental Center’s Fishmobile, a mobile marine science classroom that brings Chesapeake Bay life up close.

Bring your family and friends and come hang out by the water—with any luck, it’ll be a beautiful spring weekend. And it’ll get you even more excited about the Spring Sailboat Show just one week later.

For more information and tickets, visit baybridgeboatshow.com.

Summer Sailing Day and One Design Festival

outh Sailing Virginia (YSV) seeks partners for its Summer Sailing Day and One-Design Festival planned for June 20 in Hampton Roads, VA, and to be held in conjunction with Summer Sailstice, the world-wide celebration of sailing held annually on the weekend closest to the summer solstice.

“Summer Sailstice is an opportunity to share the sport we all love,” says event

organizer Alan Bomar, past president of YSV, who adds, “With this festival we aim to help people access the Chesapeake Bay, and the YSV facilities are a perfect place to put people on the water.”

The event will highlight sailing opportunities in Hampton Roads and showcase the one-design class boats that sail in the area. Festivities will span the YSV dock, Walker Field Runway, and

# Sailing organizations are invited to participate in YSV’s Summer Sailing Day and One-Design Festival. Photo courtesy of YSV/Facebook

the sailing center. Introductory sails will be offered from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

YSV is currently recruiting partners. There is no fee; however, space is limited and priority will be given to sailing organizations. To participate contact Bomar at alan@youthsailingva.org or (757) 810-4518.

Each year the Summer Sailstice celebration is an excellent way to showcase sailing, but the 2026 edition will be an especially impactful year on the Chesapeake, as Sail250 events unfold around the Bay as part of the America250 celebration recognizing the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

YSV is a community sailing center that offers youth sailing classes, high-school racing programs, STEM education, and community events. As a nonprofit YSV welcomes donations and contributions to offset the cost of this event and to support its mission and programing. For information contact communication@youthsailingva.org

You can learn more at summersailstice. com/event/youth-sailing-virginia-onedesign-festival and youthsailingva.org

Millman Named Outstanding Organizational Leader

US Sailing has named Jane Millman as the recipient of its Outstanding Organizational Leader Award, recognizing her exceptional leadership and guidance that has strengthened each organization she works with and inspires her community at Brendan Sailing.

The Outstanding Organizational Leader Award is given to an exceptional individual who has made notable contributions to an organization that have resulted in membership growth, positive financial development, or increased community awareness and integration. This individual is also a proven leader outside their organization demonstrating the ability to work across traditional boundaries to advance community and social causes.

Whitney Kent, a member of US Sailing’s community sailing committee tells SpinSheet, “Jane stood out to the selection committee this year as someone who has not only contributed to the success of a highly unique and important program in

Brendan Sailing, but also to the sport in general. For many years, Jane has been a pillar in the training community, making an impact on hundreds of candidates taking their Head Instructor Certification courses. She is a mentor and a leader who demands the highest standards from those around her and is willing to extend a helping hand to get there. As a board member at the Magenta Project, executive director at Brendan Sailing, and a US Sailing instructor trainer, Jane is the very definition of an outstanding organizational leader!”

Millman says, “Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of leading and supporting multiple organizations such as Davis Island Youth Sailing Foundation, Annapolis Yacht Club, and the US Naval Academy, to name a few within the sailing community. Across those roles, my leadership has always been guided by one core belief: that the most meaningful way to succeed is to help other people succeed. This award reflects that I have

had the incredible opportunity to work with so many wonderful people over the years, some of whom followed me from program to program, even moving states to continue to work with me. They are the ones that make this possible. Thank you to all of the instructors and coaches over the last 16 years for your dedication, hard work, and for making the choice to work with me.”

8 Back Creek Yacht Club

Happy Hour

Join members of Back Creek Yacht Club for happy hour at Middleton Tavern in Annapolis beginning at 5 p.m. Since 2001, BCYC has been bringing together like-minded people pursuing their passion for Chesapeake Bay sailing and powerboating.

11 Bacon Sails 10th Annual Spring Sale

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bacon Sails and Marine Supplies in Annapolis, MD. Hourly and end-of-day raffles. Live music by Aaron Hawkins.

12 CSPS Sail Course

Presented by Cambridge Sail and Power Squadron and open to the public. “Sail” is a PowerPoint program covering all the basics of sailing from types of boats to trimming for performance. The six-week class begins Sunday, April 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Cambridge Yacht Club. The CSPS will teach the classroom sessions and the CYC will schedule on-thewater training at a later date. $150 for non-members, $75 for members. Questions: Wayne Rigby at (302) 381-2307.

April

11-12

Rebels and Redcoats

A Southern Maryland Revolutionary War family event. Free. At Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and on St. George Island in Piney Point, MD.

17-19 Bay Bridge Boat Show at Safe Harbor Narrows Point Friday through Sunday at Safe Harbor Narrows Point in Grasonville, MD. Climb aboard a wide array of powerboats of every style and size. Also, plenty of onsite parking available, food and beer stations, and live entertainment. Tickets: annapolisboatshows.com

18 Capt. Henry Marx Memorial US Sailing International Safety at Sea Course  At the Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, VA. This hands-on training course will prepare you for survival offshore in demanding situations and emergencies. The course is taught by experienced lifelong sailors and is designed for sailors of all types and levels – cruisers, racers, novices, and experts. The course has two parts. The first part is the Online Offshore Safety at Sea Course, followed by hands-on training.

18 Havre de Grace Citywide Yard Sale and Sidewalk Sale  8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Havre de Grace, MD. Free. Enjoy this huge, community-wide event. Yard sales, sidewalk sales, and bargains galore.

18-19 Eastern Shore Sea Glass and Coastal Arts Festival At the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD. Sea glass and coastal jewelry, art, photography, home decor, home decor, authors, and more.

20 - Sep 15

DSC’s Women on the Water (WOW)  The Downtown Sailing Center’s WOW events, held the first and third Mondays of the month, offer two exciting levels to suit every stage of your sailing journey: beginner and racing. No membership is required; non-members can sign up for a small fee. Baltimore, MD.

22-24 Master Diesel Spring Class  Presented by Cruisers University in Annapolis, MD. This three-day, handson class will provide a preliminary and in-depth review of how a diesel engine works. All aspects of general and yearly maintenance will be covered. Various engine parts, tools, and running engine models of Yanmar 1GM10, Yanmar 4JH Series and Universal M-25XP will be available to demonstrate parts and procedures.

Chesapeake Calendar presented by

April

22-24 Offshore Emergency Medicine

Presented by Cruisers University in Annapolis, MD. This three-day class offers practical medical training for cruisers and racing sailors operating out of range of rapid rescue and professional medical assistance. The program requires 12-36 hours of pre-course reading, study, and online testing followed by three days of onsite training. The only training prerequisite is completion of a CPR course, but a basic first aid or wilderness medicine course is also recommended.

22-26 Paint the Town - Chestertown RiverArts A premier plein air celebration on Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay for painters, collectors, and art lovers alike. In Chestertown, MD.

24-26 Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show

Friday through Sunday at City Dock, Annapolis. Climb aboard new and brokerage sailboats, meet with boating clubs and charter companies, shop gear and equipment, and ring in the new season with fellow sailors and marine professionals. With live entertainment, seminars, and a festive tasting tent, the fun lasts all day. Tickets: annapolisboatshows.com

24-26 Maryland International Kite

Exposition Three days of kite flying on the beaches of Ocean City, MD.

25 Wings of Spring

Celebrating the osprey in Rock Hall, MD. Enjoy a fun-filled day of osprey education, birdwatching, scenic boat tours, kids’ activities, and more.

26 SpinSheet Annapolis Crew Party

4 to 6 p.m. at Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis, MD. Free and open to all experience levels. SpinSheet Crew Parties are for anyone who’d like to connect with other Chesapeake Bay sailors and sail more often.

27 Regulations and Procedures for Inspected and Uninspected Passenger Vessels  Presented by CAPCA. 7 to 8:30 p.m. (hybrid event): in person at the Annapolis Elks Lodge and online on Zoom. Free. Speaker: Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CWO2) Christopher Clark.

30 CBMM Speaker Series  The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life: An Evening with Cory McCray - how mentorship, skilled trades, and second chances create powerful pathways to success for individuals and communities. 5:30 p.m. at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD (and available virtually). Suggested ticket price of $8 per person.

30 Marine and Maritime Career Expo  Since 2010, EYC Foundation’s expo has been educating Anne Arundel County students about the marine and maritime world and inspiring them to discover and pursue careers in the industry. At Bert Jabin Yacht Yard in Annapolis.

April Racing

1 - Sep 30

HYC Wednesday Night Series  Hosted by Hampton YC, Hampton, VA.

8 BBSA Little Creek Wednesday Night Racing Begins  Hosted by Broad Bay Sailing Association, Southern Bay.

9 BBSA Willoughby Thursday Night Racing Begins  Hosted by Broad Bay Sailing Association, Southern Chesapeake.

12

HYC Tune-up Race

Hosted by Hampton YC, Hampton, VA.

16-19 Charleston Race Week at Patriots Point Charleston, SC.

19 CCVR Spring Series 1  Hosted by CCV Racing and Hampton YC, Hampton, VA.

(cont.) For more details and links to event websites, visit spinsheet.com/calendar

22 AYC Wednesday Night Racing   Hosted by Annapolis YC.

25 AYC Spring One Design Regatta  Hosted by Annapolis YC.

25-26 Hampton Roads One Design Regatta Hosted by Hampton YC.

26

CCVR Spring Series 2  Hosted by CCV Racing and Hampton YC.

May

2 Annapolis Book Festival

Held on the campus of Key School at 534 Hillsmere Drive, Annapolis, MD, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free, multigenerational festival brings together nationally renowned authors with thousands of book fans for author talks, panel discussions, book signings, and other activities.

2 Anne Arundel County River Days  11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, MD. 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.

2 Clean the Bay Day

Each year on a single day, for just three hours, thousands of Virginians simultaneously descend on the rivers, streams, beaches, and inland parks of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to remove harmful litter and debris. Register: cbf.org

2

Solomons Maritime Festival

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, MD. Free! Celebrate Southern Maryland traditions with cooking demonstrations, traditional live music, toy boat building, Quilts of Valor display, Chesapeake Bay Retriever demonstrations, antique boats and motors, dockside tours on the Dee of St. Mary’s, plus 30-minute cruises on the Wm. B. Tennison.

2 Solomons Small Craft Gathering

The event will coincide with the Calvert Marine Museum’s Solomons Maritime Festival. All small craft propelled by wind, paddle, oar, pedal, or motor are welcome.

2-3 Boater Safety Course

CBMM’s course teaches participants the basics needed to safely and confidently operate a vessel on Maryland waterways. Individuals and families with children 10 and up are welcome to participate. $30. At the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD.

2-3 Havre de Grace Decoy and Wildlife Art Festival

The 44th annual festival takes place indoors at the STAR Centre (700 Congress Avenue), featuring waterfowl decoys, art, and collectibles. May 2 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and May 3 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Admission costs $10 for the weekend.

2-3 Susquehanna Flats Marine Exhibition

This outdoor event features boat dealers, marine services, and more and will be held in conjunction with the Havre de Grace Decoy and Wildlife Art Festival at the STAR Centre (700 Congress Avenue). Free admission for the marine event. May 2 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and May 3 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Send questions to president@ decoymuseum.com.

5

CBMM Speaker Series

The Last Navigator: A Young Man, an Ancient Mariner, the Secrets of the Sea. Explore a world of ocean navigation largely unknown to the West, a world in which the traditional navigator’s only directional tools are the stars, the ocean swells and the flight paths of birds with speaker Steve Thomas. 5:30 p.m. at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD (and available virtually). Suggested ticket price $8 per person.

10 Mother’s Day

Take your mom sailing!

16-17 Havre de Grace Garden Mart

Native plants, perennials, herbs, annuals, and vegetables for sale, as well as nature inspired artisans and craft vendors on site, with garden decor, kids’ activities, food vendors, and more. This free event will be located at the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, the Lighthouse Keeper’s House grounds, and Concord Point Park, rain or shine.

19 Blue Angels Flight Rehearsal

Tentative flight rehearsal date for U.S. Naval Academy Commissioning Week; 2 p.m. in Annapolis.

20 Blue Angels Flight Demonstration

Tentative flight demonstration date for U.S. Naval Academy Commissioning Week; 2 p.m. in Annapolis.

30 DSC’s BIPOC Sailing

The Downtown Sailing Center’s BIPOC Sailing Nights, held monthly from May to September, provide a dedicated space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to explore sailing, build community, and enjoy time of the water. No membership is required; non-members can sign up for a small fee. Baltimore, MD.

May Racing

1-3

Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series Annapolis  Hosted by Annapolis YC, Presented by Sailing World.

8 - Aug 28

EYC Beer Can Races  Hosted by Eastport YC, Annapolis, MD.

9 AYC Spring Race to Oxford  Hosted by Annapolis YC.

9

OPCYC Yankee Station Series 1  Hosted by Old Point Comfort YC, Hampton, VA.

16 BBSA Cape Henry Cup  Hosted by Broad Bay Sailing Association, Southern Chesapeake.

16 EWE Spirit Cup  Hosted by the EWE Spirit Foundation and Sailing Club of the Chesapeake, Annapolis, MD.

16 Hampton Roads Hospice Regatta  Hosted by Hampton YC, Hampton, VA.

16-17 US Sailing Match Race Qualifier  Hosted by Eastport YC, Annapolis, MD.

22 Down the Bay Race  Hosted by Hampton YC, Hampton, VA.

23 Annapolis to Miles River Race  Hosted by Eastport and Miles River Yacht Clubs.

25 OPCYC Yankee Station Series 2  Hosted by Old Point Comfort YC, Hampton, VA.

29-31 Southern Bay Race Week  Hosted by Hampton YC.

30-31

Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix  Hosted by Sail GP, New York.

The Importance of Good Instruction Meet Cam Costello

Interview by Beth Crabtree

Whether you’re just learning to sail or are an experienced sailor honing your skills, an inspiring and supportive instructor can make all the difference. One such instructor is Cameron Costello, who currently serves as the Director of Programs and Waterfront Operations at DC Sail. Traci Mead, executive director of DC Sail, introduced us to him, saying “Cam is on the front lines of our operations, continuously coaching and encouraging our sailors (youth and adults) to explore all aspects of the sport through dedicated on-the-water time, additional training, and exploration of a variety of boats and skill sets. He has a remarkable way of putting new and experienced sailors at ease as he teaches on-water skills and safety.”

Where and when did you start sailing?

Cameron: I was born and raised on Cape Cod. My first sailing lessons were in the Falmouth Recreation Center’s learn-to-sail program. By the time I got to high school, I was racing competitively in C420s and traveled the East Coast on the national circuit. Though my college didn’t have a sailing team, during the summers I returned home and taught at Falmouth Harbor Sailing School, where I’d taken lessons as a kid and where I’d learned to love both the relaxing and competitive sides of sailing.

How does teaching adults differ from teaching kids?

Kids tend to be more malleable than adults and are less likely

to lose patience with the repetitive practice needed to ingrain skills to the point that they’ll be automatic in real-time, when lots of things (waves, other boats, wind shifts) can happen simultaneously. The best part of teaching kids is seeing that confidenceboosting moment when it ‘clicks,’ and the child realizes that they can sail on their own. It’s one of the reasons why I love teaching young sailors.

On the other hand, teaching adults offers the opportunity to dive into the more complicated aspects of sailing, such as physics. Adults retain and recall knowledge more quickly than kids, but we still need to take the time to build foundational skills.

Now you’re supervising sailing instructors. What’s that like?

At DC Sail we have a set curriculum, which is very helpful. We hold

instructor training sessions at the start of every season during which new instructors shadow an experienced instructor. I encourage them to shadow four different instructors because every teacher brings their own style and life experiences, which they channel through the curriculum. That insertion of ‘self’ helps instructors thrive and have agency in their teaching.

What is your advice to adults interested in learning to sail?

Go for it! You can pick up sailing at any age. There are sailboat designs that are accessible to individuals of all skill levels. However, the sooner you get started, the longer you’ll have to enjoy it and the more time you will have to improve.

If you’re timid about starting by yourself, find a buddy. The social as-

pect of sailing is important for most people. One reason why DC Sail puts four students in each boat and keeps them together for the entire course is to start the socialization that is an important aspect of our community.

Name one DC Sail offering that you are excited about this season. This summer we will offer a new intermediate FJ course to build on the introductory classes. The aim is to solidify skills and confidence in new sailors before they move into our Thursday night racing program and to give green racers an opportunity to get extra coaching and improve their skills.

You sailed recently in Hawaii? Tell us about that!

After earning a degree in music education at Ithaca College in 2020, I lived on the island of Oahu where I worked as a volunteer farmer and sailed for a race team based out of Hawaii Yacht Club. In February, I was back in Hawaii for a vacation and was fortunate to crew for a few races with friends aboard a Farr 38 competing in the club’s Friday night series, as well as one longer race, too.

What are a couple of your personal sailing goals?

One day I would like to live on the water, either on a houseboat or sailboat. I love the adventure element of sailing; an ocean crossing appeals to me.

What are your hobbies outside of sailing?

If I’m not on the water, I’m likely biking. I ride 10 miles round trip to and from work and enjoy riding on the area’s trails, too. I love board games and card games of all types; during the past year I’ve improved my contract bridge skills by joining a couple of bridge clubs. I also love to cook (I’ve been vegan for 10 years) and enjoy trying new recipes and exploring the DC restaurant scene.

Sailboat Club

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

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. At left, find 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.

Junior Safety a t Sea Program

Stories of the Century Celebrating the SpinSheet

Century Club and Racing Team

On February 21, we celebrated the on-water achievements of the 2025 classes of the SpinSheet Century Club and Racing Team with beer, cake, and awards at Bacon Sails and Marine Supplies in Annapolis.

Centurions Suzanne and Dobbs Fryberger, our awesome volunteers, greeted guests and gave out nametags. Century Club and Racing Team members mulled about, met one another, talked about boats, picked up their burgees and high-tech shirts (by Team One Newport), checked out the goods at the store, and had a great time.

During our awards ceremony, Stevie Reeves of Bacon Sails told us a bit about the history of his family business, thanked party goers for their dedication to boating, and invited everyone to their spring sales event (April 11).

David Sites once again took home our Erewhon Award, in honor of Jack Sherwood, for having logged the most days on the water in 2025—358 days! This year, we gave Dianne Sullivan a

continued on page 36

special award, the Centurion Personal Best Award, as she challenged herself and logged 230 days total: 100 of them sailing, 130 of them powerboating, 100-plus consecutive days, and 100 more than she’d logged last year.

We also recognized the three Century Club members in attendance who had logged more than 100 days for 12 years in a row: Michael Jewell, Ashley Love, and Lorie Stout.

Thank you to our sponsors Bacon Sails and Marine Supplies and Team One Newport! Without your support, we could not make such challenges happen. Thank you to our volunteers for helping with registration, burgees, and hats.

Join the SpinSheet Century Club (spinsheet.com/100-days) and the SpinSheet Racing Team (spinsheet. com/racing-team) for the 2026 season.

Ospreys Are Back, But Trouble Looms on the Chesapeake

By Thomas Guay

When sailors venture out for the first time each season, many scan the sky and channel markers for the return of old friends—harbingers of another Chesapeake summer. I’m talking about ospreys, those iconic Bay raptors that build their stick nests atop channel markers, nesting platforms, light poles, and the bare-topped pines along our shorelines.

Say “hello” as you sail by a channel marker, and take note when they shriek back, giving you an evil eye if you get too close. If there are offspring, Mom and Dad are screaming at their young: “Intruder

alert! Get down flat in the nest!” It’s one of the fun parts of returning to sailing on the Bay.

Early reports had some ospreys returning in late February from South America. By mid-April, most Bay osprey will have reclaimed their nests, reconnected with mates, and engaged in avian rituals: sky dancing, flirting, mating, and preparing for the next generation.

Take a look around. Soak in the aerial displays while you can. I say “while you can” because our osprey population is facing tough times.

Problem: The osprey population is in serious trouble.

A year ago, nobody knew how many ospreys lived in the Severn River watershed. In 2025, Eco-Ed Endeavors launched The Osprey Project to create a comprehensive database of the osprey population. We charted 79 nests, from the mouth of Lake Ogleton all the way up to Indian Landing near the headwaters.

Of these, we rated 50 nests as “active”— male/female pairs attempting to raise families. Soon after mating season ended in early May, something wasn’t right. Males should have been bringing fish to the nest three to five times per day. At that rate, we expected 55 juveniles by summer’s end. By mid-June, nests should have been full of hatchlings. That didn’t happen.

Most once-active nests had been abandoned. Few offspring survived. The river grew quiet, except for passing powerboats.

According to noted osprey researcher Bryan Watts of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary, ospreys need at least 1.1 juveniles per nest to sustain the population. In the Severn River, that means our team of students and adult volunteers should have recorded a minimum of 55 successful juveniles by Labor Day. Last year, we counted only eight out of 50 active nests: a reproduction ratio of 0.16 birds per nest. That’s dire, far worse than DDT-era declines after World War II.

Why is this happening?

The most obvious reason is starvation from overfishing Atlantic menhaden. Ospreys eat only fish, and in southern, saltier parts of the Chesapeake, menhaden provide the bulk of their nutrients. Without them, the birds starve. This was the central point of a pivotal study by Watts’s team examining osprey starvation in Mobjack Bay.

Other factors may also contribute. Climate change could shift menhaden migration. Stormwater runoff may be another factor, as muddy floodwaters flowing from land into the river can turn waterways murky, especially in spring and early summer. Ospreys hunt by sight and they can spot fish from 150 feet up, but muddy water and algae blooms may make it harder for the raptors to see their next meal.

After years of weekly water-quality monitoring operations at 52 stations on the Severn River, my experience reveals that surface clarity is often below 0.6 meters, which is an EPA failing grade. In 2026, we’ll explore this possibility by tracking clarity at each nest to see if there’s a cor-

relation with feeding and reproductive success.

To run these tours, Eco-Ed Endeavors partners with One More One Less of Baltimore to invite students on hands-on scientific expeditions. Together we explore and study the ecology of our waterways. For many students, it’s their first experience on a boat, soaking up Vitamin D and the energy of the great outdoors.

On a typical day, the students are a ball of energy when they shove off. After making observations, tracking data, and writing it down—because when you write data down, it becomes science—the ride home often lulls middle schoolers and teens into a restful nod-off.

Before their catnap, they learn about osprey behaviors, their reliance on fish and good water quality, and how human land-based activities can affect wildlife

and waterways. They also quickly learn to identify male and female ospreys: males sport a plain white breast, while females feature a “necklace” of brown feathers that darkens with age. They know ospreys can live 20 years or more.

These experiences open students’ eyes to careers in scientific and maritime fields and show them that science can be fun and engaging. Adult volunteers also play an important role, helping chart ospreys during spring cruises in partnership with the Annapolis Maritime Museum. How can you help?

You can assist by tracking osprey, especially in Baltimore’s Middle River and Annapolis’s South River. Send GPS coordinates of nests, and note how many ospreys have returned this spring, to EcoEd at EcoEdEndeavors@gmail.com. Track a nest. Count a chick. Make a difference.

About the Author: Thomas Guay, a veteran river rat and musician with the Eastport Oyster Boys, founded Eco-Ed Endeavors to “turn students into scientists.” He is also the author of the historical novel “Chesapeake Bound” (McBooks Press). Learn more at thomasguay.com

Another Epic Voyage for Matt Rutherford

By Angus Phillips

In the Old Harbor at Block Island, RI, there used to lie a wooden fishing boat with a provocative name: G. Willie Makit. I thought of that boat the last time Matt Rutherford left Annapolis on a death-defying sea voyage, and it’s front of mind again.

Fifteen years ago Rutherford made history by circumnavigating North and South America, 27,000 miles alone in a 40-yearold, 27-foot sloop, nonstop. When he left, few thought he’d make it back to City Dock. But he did, to a hero’s welcome, 309 days later.

Now, the Chesapeake Bay’s premier nautical adventurer is at it again. If all goes to plan, he’ll leave Back Creek in Annapolis in May to sail around the world, solo and nonstop, via the Arctic. Like his last epic trip, it’s never been done before, never tried, and it’s a challenge fraught with peril.

“I started thinking about this trip as soon as I finished the last one,” said Rutherford, 44. He was always too busy to carve out the time. In the last decade and a half, he has brought to life his nonprofit Ocean Research Project (ORP), built out a 70-foot, steel research vessel, led six summer-long trips to northern Greenland for scientific work, and crossed both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans under sail, monitoring plastic pollution.

All that research left his science partner, Nicole Trenholm, with so much data that she required a year ashore to process it, just the window Rutherford needed.

This winter he and a few occasional helpers have been hard at work at Bert Jabin Yacht Yard, outfitting a 42-foot Valiant ketch for the Arctic. The boat is on loan from a listener to Rutherford’s popular podcast, Singlehanded Sailing. Unlike little St. Brendan, in which he survived the Northwest Passage and Cape Horn in 2011, the 30-year-old Valiant is a tough seagoing trooper, well-suited for the job.

But still, it needed almost everything. By departure day, Rutherford will have stripped, painted, and refurbished the masts and booms, replaced all standing and running rigging, installed a new engine and battery bank, replaced sails, and renewed the electronics, winches, lines, electrical, and plumbing systems. Most of the work he’s done himself, mostly outdoors in the cold and snow.

“It’s okay. It gets you ready for the Arctic,” he says with a shrug.

What he will attempt is unprecedented. It’s 9000 miles, alone and nonstop, from Greenland to Greenland over the tops of Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, and North America, going west-to-east with the North Pole off the port side. Timing

will be crucial. Pack ice in these regions generally doesn’t retreat enough to open a path until June, and it all closes back up in October.

The dangers are fourfold, in his estimation. The first is ice, in two treacherous forms. Pack ice is the frozen sea water that extends south from the North Pole. Skirting its edges and forging through errant patches are tricky, because the ice comes and goes with wind and tide and can entrap the boat and crush it. Meanwhile, icebergs, the massive, frozen freshwater blocks that break off glaciers, float unmarked in open waters in the dark of night or murk of fog. Hitting one invites disaster.

Rocks and pinnacles are second on the danger list. Even the best digital charts are imperfect in the Arctic, he says, and unmarked obstacles can sink and swallow a fiberglass boat in no time. Third are storms, inevitable on the open sea. Rutherford spent 10 days hanging off a parachute sea anchor on his last trip, waiting for howling gales to peter out in the Arctic Ocean. And, of course, there’s always the threat of a combination of storms, rocks, and ice coming at the same time.

Finally, there’s politics. The route extends over Russia for thousands of miles. The Putin administration claims sover-

eignty over all waters north of its border and requires a permit for any boat to go there. Rutherford has applied for permission and expects to get it, but even with papers in hand, there’s no telling what the Russians might do to a hapless American in their waters.

When he put to sea on his last bold mission, Rutherford used the voyage to raise funds for the Annapolis-based nonprofit Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB), which takes disabled people sailing from its base on Back Creek. He generated $120,000 in donations.

This time he has his own nonprofit, the ORP, and hopes the trip will help focus attention on it. He’ll be equipped with a year’s worth of freeze-dried food, a mechanical watermaker, and the latest Starlink communications gear, which he says is as fast and reliable as a home computer system. He can send video, photos, and text back to the ORP website from anywhere, although he expects the stretch over Russia to be blocked.

The plan is to sail north in May to the island port of Aasiaat, off Greenland’s west coast and there await word that sea ice is clearing in the Northeast Passage over Russia. He will sail around the bottom of Greenland, past the coasts of Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, over Russia to the East Siberian Sea, and across the Arctic Ocean to approach the Northwest Passage over the Americas.

He needs to be through the Northwest Passage and into Canada’s Baffin Bay by October to avoid the return of sea ice. Then, it’s just a matter of getting back to Aasiaat to complete the historic circumnavigation.

This leaves one outstanding question left to answer: Gee, will he make it?

Learn more at oceanresearchproject.org.

The Little Pink Opti and her Sea Monster Friends

By Ashley Love

A disastrous storm wrecked the family home, but their well-loved Opti had other plans.

When Hurricane Sandy hit our family home in Mantoloking, NJ, in 2012, the foundation was swept out from under her by the ocean. The porches were all detached, the kitchen wall was missing, and the house settled into a permanent grin that said, “I may have a two-degree tilt, but I’m still here.” All that was left of the front porch was its roof compressed onto the ground. Upon getting to the scene, we didn’t know if any of our belongings or furniture were still intact or what had been claimed by the raging water.

We also didn’t know if my pink Opti was underneath it or not, the boat my parents purchased new in roughly 1993. I called her Sunburn because of her bright magenta coloring. Sunburn and I had so many adventures, including two transformative memories: when I knew I wanted to sail forever and when I knew I wanted to race forever.

Back before I knew how to steer…

My instructor, fed up with so many other nine-year-olds meandering around in circles, said, “Hold the tiller right here and the mainsheet right there, and don’t change a thing,” and shoved me away from her boat. I went zooming across the bay toward Swan

Point. It was the first time I’d gone in a straight line for more than a few seconds. I had always been surrounded by the cacophony of the other boats, but no longer. I was on an adventure all by myself.

Everything got so much quieter as that noise faded away. I could hear the birds, feel the wind build, drop, and shift. I loved it. I went all the way across the bay and didn’t know how to stop, so I ran aground into the marsh. Everything got even quieter: just the water lapping up against my boat and the wind in the tall grasses that were taller than me. I saw a shadow. My heart leaped. I thought for sure it was a sea monster! It was my sail’s shadow.

I was in control of my own destiny and now had to figure out how to get turned around and back toward the rest of the group. I thought it through and figured I should lift up my stuck centerboard. I got out of the boat with my bare feet in the sandy mud, spun the boat around, and climbed back in.

After getting in, I was sailing sideways, so I put the centerboard back in and tried some things with the sails and tiller until I was aiming back toward the east side of the bay. I got back to the other side where the rest of my class was, but I was never the same.

Before I knew how to race… I knew I wanted to race forever in 1995 when I raced my first Junior Olympics with 100 or so other Optis. It was a follow-the-leader type scene, but six other sailors and I decided to go left up the course instead of right. When we got to the top mark, we were so far ahead; looking back at so many boats was invigorating. I knew I had guessed and only went that way to be different, but I decided right then and there that I wanted to learn how to do that on purpose to feel that rush again and again. When I got into Laser sailing, chartering the Opti was one of my first sources of income, besides mowing lawns and babysitting.

Back to 2012: We stood there, looking at our house sinking into the land around it and wondering what had happened to the hot magenta boat and if it had been squished or if it had floated away somewhere. We got into the house and recovered almost everything. When the house was eventually demolished, we asked the demo company to report back to us if Sunburn was under the rubble or not. They reported the pink Opti was not under that collapsed roof.

We figured that during the storm, when the winds picked up and the Atlantic Ocean met Barnegat Bay, Sunburn had said to herself, “I can swim!” Swim she did. Along with parts of houses, refrigerators, and anything else that could float, the sea monsters from my childhood memories guided her to the north, under the Mantoloking Bridge and seemingly gone forever…

Almost a year went by…

My mom got a phone call that a fisherman on a kayak, Bill Buchanan, had found a tiny pink sailboat with a Mantoloking Yacht Club (MYC)

lot sticker and the last name of a little girl who had chartered her before the storm. The dinghy sat in a marsh practically in the Metedeconk River to the northwest of Manto in F Cove. A photo on his cell phone helped community members to trace it back to the Loves.

The fisherman and my mom, Peggy Love, walked into the woody marsh, almost a half mile past two lagoons on overgrown paths until they got to her. Picking her up and turning her sideways, they wiggled her out between some trees and got her to the water. Bill towed her on his kayak around to a boat ramp where his truck was waiting to bring her back to MYC.

To everyone’s surprise, she was just fine. Optis are actual tanks. A scrub down and a used sail from Bacon Sails, used blades and a dolly from the Shrewsbury Yacht Club, and Opti #3406 was ready to sail again. And sail she did. Many more beginners fell in love with sailing over those first few years. A few years later, Bill, the fisherman, and his

wife, would have a daughter. When she was of age, 10 years after the storm, she wanted to learn how to sail. Sunburn, aka Ashley’s Boat, returned to the summer program with Cora Buchanan at the helm.

She learned to sail on 3406 and was even awarded the sportsmanship award at the Little Bay Day Regatta. She will now graduate to a bigger boat, so the next sailor who’ll dance on Barnegat Bay with Sunburn is to be determined. Sure, there are newer, less-used Optis out there for people to buy or charter, but they’re also less-loved. 3406 is covered in stickers, permanent-markered names, makeshift straps, replacement parts, and love taps from many young sailors. The adventures this boat has seen, characters it has met, challenges it has sailed through are unmatched.

The Love family isn’t able to beachbike-cruise down to MYC anymore but are absolutely touched to still have a tie to the sailing program. Thanks to the Buchanans finding the Little Pink Opti, multitudes of youngsters will sail and fall in love with this sport that has given our family so much.

The Best of the West and Rhode Rivers

Iregard the West and Rhode Rivers as unsung heroes of the Chesapeake Bay. Both are accessible for a quick overnight when heading up or down the Bay, providing convenient protection from all directions of wind. But some hurried sailors never venture farther back. For those who do, enchantments await because both rivers have something to offer any mood or budget.

West River

I have a soft spot in my heart for the West River. Sixteen years ago, when we bought our first cruising sailboat, we chose Pirate’s Cove as our marina. We lucked into a slip

By Captain Cheryl Duvall

with a full pier and an easy approach through a mooring field rather than a narrow alleyway. I was used to sailing keelboats, so having plenty of maneuvering space endeared me to Pirate’s Cove. That, and two months later when we were married on our boat, with family witnessing from the docks.

After three years at Pirate’s Cove and a brief stint in Baltimore, we came back to the West River when we bought our Gozzard. This time, we took a slip toward the end of the river, at Hartge Yacht Harbor, where we remained for five years. We were still working full-time, reserving weekends for sailing. The proximity

of the West River to points north, east, and south was opportune, especially for a quick weekend adventure. When originally choosing the West River, we had focused on favorable slip rates more than location. We quickly began to appreciate how many different anchorages we could reach within a few hours of sailing. That alone can make the West River appealing.

We also began to appreciate how treasured this river was for racers. Inevitably, as we returned home on Sundays, we’d see 30 or so sailboats heading towards us. Staying out of their way was challenging.

“The West River is a mostly protected waterway that offers fun and exciting racing,” says Frank Albert, commodore of Pirates Cove Race Club (PCRC), which

Making YOUR BOaT New Again!

hosts races for 40 boats every Wednesday night (or Sundays when days grow shorter), in two spinnaker classes and one non-spinnaker class.

“Altogether, PCRC holds 32 races a year over various courses ranging from two miles to over six miles, depending on wind strength. We encourage new racers to come out and enjoy the excitement.”

The West River is also ideal for cruisers. Just beyond R6, there is ample water and good holding for anchoring on the south side. The nearby West River Fuel Dock has reliable operating hours and helpful dockhands. Transient dockage may also be available at nearby marinas, including Hartge.

The small town of Galesville’s two waterfront restaurants offer short-term dockage for customers. Alternatively, dinghies can tie up at Galesville Wharf. From there, it’s a short walk east to the newly renovated Pirate’s Cove Restaurant, offering refined dining or more casual dining in indoor and outdoor

bars, often with live music. A short walk west puts you at Stan & Joe’s Riverside, with casual dining including steamed crabs, weekend live music, and dog-friendly outdoor seating.

In addition to 25 slips for customers, S&J’s has two floating docks for smaller vessels.

Rhode River

As much as I enjoy the West River, I have a stronger affection for the Rhode. According to our logs, we have anchored in this river more than 40 times. If we can only get away for one overnight, this is where we go. One night at anchor in the Rhode can feel like a long weekend escape.

There are two primary anchorages in the Rhode River. As you enter from the West River, honor R2 on your right and G3 on your left. It feels a bit narrow, but there is plenty of room even with oncoming traffic. Straight ahead, you’ll see R4 and R6 in quick succession, marking the entrance to

shallow Cadle Creek. The first Rhode anchorage is on the left (west side), opposite the two reds.

This first anchorage is well-marked on the charts, as are a couple of hazards. We became aware of one of those in 2022 when we ducked into the Rhode for a quick overnight on our journey south. As we approached, we saw the tops of two masts protruding out of the water. Apparently, a sailboat had been slowly sinking over a few days, according to friends who had recently anchored nearby. We dropped our Rocna, staying a reasonable distance away. (The masts are no longer visible, and the wreck symbol is apparent on updated charts.)

More typically, we head farther up the Rhode River to its second anchorage, giving G7 a wide berth when turning to port. I am still awed by the sheer size of this haven and the lack of buildings along its shores. Other than YMCA Camp Letts on the north and a few modest homes tucked into foliage

Making YOUR BOaT New Again!

on the south, this anchorage is surrounded by trees and punctuated by several small islands. If you seek serenity and nature, it’s tough to find a better place to drop the hook.

The islands are rimmed by shallow waters, not to be ignored by prudent sailors. These shoals are well-marked on the charts, yet we’ve witnessed several boats (mostly speeding powerboats) grounding on the invisible island in the middle of the anchorage, ironically named High Island. It can be less than a foot deep there. Just go slowly, and watch your depths and charts.

Occasionally, on a busy summer weekend, jet skis and powerboats will speed past anchored vessels, though they usually hug the northern side near Camp Letts. We usually anchor in the southwest corner, in eight to nine feet of water, near the shallow waters between Big Island and Murray Wharf. We suspect those shallows discourage most powerboats. We have also anchored near Camp Letts, in Sellman Creek, which is very protected but only wide enough for one boat across.

After anchoring, we point our dinghy behind Big Island to the Rhode’s unexpected amenity: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)! We visit SERC frequently, stretching our legs on six main hiking trails. There is a dinghy dock for access to the grounds, including the restrooms in the Reed

About the author: Captain Cheryl Duvall is a USCG Licensed Master Inland 100 GRT and president of the Chesapeake Area Professional Captains Association (CAPCA). You may also see her helming Watermark’s Miss Anne in Annapolis. Email her at cherylduvall@mac.com.

Education Center. Check the SERC calendar for hours of operation, and take advantage of their special events.

It’s rare to find an anchorage so spacious and yet serene. If you are looking for a

place to raft up with friends or rendezvous with other sailors, the Rhode is ideal. Just remember to respect the Rhode’s peaceful nature. It gets very quiet after dusk. And you don’t want to be “that” boat!

The Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show returns to the historic seaport town of Annapolis every April to showcase new and brokerage boats including catamarans, monohulls, family cruisers, daysailers, and inflatables.

While climbing aboard the great line-up of sailboats is the major draw, there is so much more to see. Guests are invited to meet with boating clubs and charter companies, shop gear and equipment, and ring in the new season with fellow sailors and marine professionals. With live entertainment and seminars, the fun lasts all day. As the show winds down, guests may visit the wide variety of restaurants, shops and bars just a few steps from the show gates.

Tickets

General Admission ~ $20 Military ~ $15 (Taxes and Fees Included) (Limited onsite box office available) Children 15 and under are free

Location

110 Compromise Street, Annapolis, MD 21401

Hours

Friday, April 24: 10am - 6pm Saturday, April 25: 10am - 6pm Sunday, April 26: 10am - 5pm

Parking

Parking is available in the parking garages in downtown Annapolis. Be sure to plan ahead as parking garages downtown fill up fast.

Stay

Known as the “Sailing Capital of the World”, Annapolis’s maritime history, nautical culture, and fun atmosphere make it the perfect location for boat shows. When guests have finished exploring the floating docks and shoreside exhibit areas at the Spring Show, downtown restaurants, shops, and galleries open their doors to these sailors looking to extend their stay. Make your plans now and book accommodations. Learn more at visitannapolis.org

Answers to FAQs

Are pets allowed on show grounds?

No, animals are not allowed inside the show due to safety and health reasons unless it is a certified service animal.

Are strollers allowed on show grounds?

No, strollers are not allowed inside the show due to safety issues. Please park your stroller in the designated stroller parking area.

Should my child wear a lifejacket?

Yes, we recommend all children wear life jackets for their safety.

Will the show be open if it rains?

Yes, the boat show happens rain or shine.

Can I scan my ticket from my phone?

Yes, you do not need to print out your ticket. All tickets may be scanned from your phone.

Are backpacks allowed in the show?

Yes, backpacks and bags are allowed.

If I leave the show, am I allowed back in later?

Yes, you will be able to scan your ticket again upon re-entry.

Can I bring food or drink into the show?

Yes, you may bring food and drinks into the show.

Explore Our Town

The Annapolis Boat Shows have always enjoyed calling Annapolis home. With beautiful brick-lined streets filled with art galleries, apparel, antique shops, and specialty boutiques, downtown Annapolis has plenty of fun for every visitor. Visit the many shops along Main Street and Maryland Ave, book a historic walking tour with Watermark, tour the U.S. Naval Academy, and enjoy a glorious sunset cruise aboard the Schooner Woodwind. Learn all about the great things to do in our hometown and what events are happening during the shows with the help of Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. visitannapolis.org

For more information, call 410.268.8828 or visit AnnapolisSpringSailboatShow.com

It’s Time To Go Sailing!

The Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show is the place to be if you plan to sail this season. Whether you’re just starting or have been sailing for years, the show welcomes attendees of all experience levels and encourages all to step aboard sailboats of varying sizes and styles, meet with boat brokers and industry professionals, and explore options for ownership, and upgrading. Those new to sailing are invited to simply learn about life on the water and the many ways to take up the sport.

Importantly, the show is much more than a place to shop for boats and gear. Its educational opportunities are many and varied, and its No Wake Zone offers the perfect place to slow down, grab a drink, and hang out with friends; special events are planned there for Friday night and Sunday morning (see page 52).

Those who have attended past shows will notice a change in the show layout, which has been reformatted to enhance the experience for both exhibitors and attendees during the ongoing construction and redevelopment work of the City Dock Project. We think you’ll like the new configuration; check it out by turning to the show map in the center of this section.

Education

Education remains a central part of the show’s programming, and courses are offered for every skill level, from never-been-on-aboat to seasoned sailors. The First Sail Workshop is a half-day classroom and on-water introductory course specifically designed for those new to sailing. The Ask Me Anything About Sailing panel discussion (Saturday April 25 at 10 a.m.) gives would-be sailors the opportunity to hear from seasoned sailors who love introducing the sport to newcomers. For sailors planning extended cruising or looking to sharpen their skills, Cruisers University provides in-depth instruction. Finally, throughout each day free seminars presented by BoatUS will cover a range of sailing and safety topics (find the full list on page 54). Visit annapolisboatshows.com for registration information for all events except the daily seminars, which are free and open to all.

Boats and Gear

Climb aboard new monohulls and catamarans (including two new Lagoons) and brokerage boats, too. The range of vessels will span entry-level boats, cruising vessels, and racing hulls. In addition to the boats, the show is filled with on-land exhibitors offering the best in gear and equipment. Plus, this is your chance to pose boat-specific questions to the industry’s leading marine professionals.

Charter Opportunities

Those interested in sailing without ownership may connect with charter companies, learn how chartering works, and explore how sailing vacations and bareboat charters can expand experience and open access to cruising destinations near and far.

Sailing With Kids

Racing Crew Tips

On Sunday, pro sailor and seasoned coach Jahn Tihansky, together with freelance coach Aidan Gray, will gather small groups of aspiring racing crew dockside for an hour of tips on how to step up their racing game using a J/80 keelboat as a training platform. Sessions at 10:30 a.m. and noon. Ticket price of $20 includes show entry. Proceeds from the class support CRAB’s racing program. Visit annapolisboatshows.com for registration.

Sailing with kids strengthens family bonds, teaches children problem solving skills, and inspires adventure. Bring the whole family for a casual panel discussion/Q&A session with parents whose kids love sailing and learn how you can get the whole family on the water with less stress and more fun. Sunday, April 26 at 11 a.m., free.

Dockside Ducks

Kids can join the hunt for rubber ducks hidden throughout the show! Find a duck and bring it to the Box Office or Show Office to receive an extra prize—and you get to keep the duck!

Order online and pick up your purchase at the IKEA Annapolis Plan & order point and Pick-up point. Scan this QR code for more info.

See all of our IKEA Family special offers and discounts up to 25% off by scanning this QR code.

IKEA Annapolis Plan & order point and Pick-up point is located at 2528 Solomons Island Rd Annapolis, MD 21401

After Hours Party and Foulest Foulies Contest

Annapolis Boat Shows and Gill are throwing an after-hours party on Friday, April 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. The main event is a fashion show in which the worst-dressed sailor wins. Dust off your most duct-taped, salt-stained gear and strut your stuff at the Foulest Foulies Fashion Show at 6 p.m. for a chance to walk away in a brand-new foul weather gear from Gill. Sailors interested in competing can sign up at annapolisboatshows.com.

Relax With Friends

Sit back and relax in the No Wake Zone sponsored by IKEA College Park and The Deck & Fence Depot, an outdoor lounge area where show-goers can listen to live music, and guests aged 21 years and older may enjoy a tasting area, drinks for sale, and full bottles for purchase. Free Sunday Mimosas sponsored by Renewal By Andersen will be offered on Sunday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Enter For A Chance To Win Great Prizes!

Everyone loves a good door prize! When you pre-purchase your tickets online or sign up at the show, you are automatically entered to win one of the many door prizes that are generously donated by our maritime partners.

2-Hour Sail Aboard a VIKO S 35 Yacht

Enjoy a 2-hour sail aboard a VIKO S 35 yacht out of Deale, MD. This is the perfect yacht to sail with friends and family. Comfortable three cabin version with one head. The master stateroom is forward and two guest staterooms aft. Dockside air conditioning make the VIKO S 35 comfortable even in the middle of summer. Annapolis Sailing Academy: Tent B-9

Baltimore Ravens Fire Extinguisher

This stylish Baltimore Ravens branded fire extinguisher combines safety and team pride. Summit Marine Fire & Safety: Tent B-28

SOSE Solar Flare

The Tektite SOSeFlare is a compliant Night electronic Visual Distress Signal, or eVDS, meeting the requirements of 46 CFR 161.013 (Electric Distress Light for Boats). In addition, the KIT package includes a Distress Flag that meets the requirements of 46 CFR 160.072, providing an approved Day Visual Distress Signal, as well as a SOLAS/USCG compliant whistle that fulfills the audible signal carriage requirement. Eliminate flares on recreational vessels, and unispected fishing and passenger vessels. Tektite: Tent A-35

The New England Lobster Bucket

Calling all Lobster lovers! The perfect bucket bag for a bottle of wine, stacked glasses and cheese. Or use it to carry oysters or clams, shell collecting and more! Decked out with a red lobster and stylized sailboat, this bucket bag is finished with traditional hemp rope and whip twined pigtail knots. NautibagsUS: Tent B-21

Two Preview Day Tickets to the Annapolis Sailboat Show

This lucky winner and a guest will enjoy the opportunity to spend the day on the docks at the Annapolis Sailboat Show on Preview Day, Thursday, October 9, 2025. Preview Day is less crowded allowing guests more time on boats and with brokers. This annual celebration of sailing features floating docks lined with sailboats from manufacturers around the world. Multihulls, monohulls, cruisers, racers, sailing dinghies and more. Show tents line the shore, stocked with the latest in nautical gear and accessories, electronics, communication equipment, sails, rigging, education, charter companies, clubs and more.

FRIDAY, APRIL 24

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

All Day

11:00-11:45am

12:00-12:45pm

1:00-1:45pm

2:00-2:45pm

Presented by

Dockside Ducks

Kids who find a rubber duck and bring it to the Box Office or Show Office will receive a prize

Working with a Marine Surveyor When Buying or Selling a Boat

Presented by Captain Scott Berg of CBW LLC Marine Surveyors, Consultants, and Captains

Making the Move to Lithium Batteries

Presented by Captain Scott Berg of CBW LLC Marine Surveyors, Consultants, and Captains

Cruising to New England via Long Island Sound

Presented by Captain Cheryl Duvall, President, CAPCA

Catamarans 101

Presented by Jeff Grossman and Jean Levine

3:00-3:45pm See A Spout? Watch Out!

4:00-4:45pm

5:00-6:00pm

Presented by Briana Gibbs of NOAA Affiliate

What If It’s… Not Your Dream?

Presented by Captain Deb Marlor of Simplicity Sailing

Happy Hour in the No Wake Zone

Sponsored by by IKEA College Park and The Deck & Fence Depot

6:00pm Foulest Foulies in the No Wake Zone

Sponsored by Gill Marine

All Day

SATURDAY, APRIL 25

SUNDAY,

Dockside Ducks

Kids who find a rubber duck and bring it to the Box Office or Show Office will receive a prize

10:00-10:45am Ask Us Anything!

11:00-11:45am

12:00-12:45pm

1:00-1:45pm

2:00-2:45pm

3:00-3:45pm

4:00-4:45pm

All Day

10:00am-12:00pm

10:30am-11:30am

11:00-11:45am

12:00-1:00pm

12:00-12:45pm

1:00-1:45pm

Presented by the Annapolis Spring Show Team!

Weather 101 for Sailors

Presented by Captain Deb Marlor of Simplicity Sailing

Staying Sane while Ensuring your Crew is Well-Fed and Happy Presented by Captain Nina Preuss of Enjoy Sailing and author of the Captain Nez novel

Women’s Panel: Ask Expert Women Sailors Your Most Pressing Boating Questions

Moderated by Capt. Hilary Howes, Presented by CAPCA

Gunkholing: Seeing the Best of the Chesapeake Bay Presented by Capt. Alex “Wolf” Zahn, Presented by CAPCA

Line Handling & Cowboy/Cowgirl Skills

Presented by Jeff Grossman and Jean Levine

Everglades Challenge

Presented by Jahn Tihansky

Dockside Ducks

Kids who find a rubber duck and bring it to the Box Office or Show Office will receive a prize

Mimosa Sunday in the No Wake Zone

Sponsored by Renewal By Andersen

Racing Crew Tips

Presented by Jahn Tihansky

Family Fun when you Sail with the Kids

Presented by an expert panel from SpinSheet Magazine

Racing Crew Tips

Presented by Jahn Tihansky

Cruising Comfortably for a Weekend or a Life

Presented by Captain Deb Marlor of Simplicity Sailing

MOB for Couples

Presented by Jeff Grossman and Jean Levine

ACY Yachts Dock A Dufour 44, Fountaine Pajot 51, 44, 41 Charters, Dealer / Broker acyyachts.com

Agulhas Bespoke Land 7 Automobile agulhasbespoke.com

American Sentry Solar/ American Design and Build Tent A 27 Renovations americansentrysolar.com

Anchor Yacht Basin Tent A 18

Haulout & Storage, Marinas, Marina Management, Full Service Yard anchoryachtbasinmd.com

Annapolis Hybrid Marine Tent A 22 Batteries, Chargers, Electrical Equipment, Systems, Engine - Inboard, Engine - Outboard, Generators, Engine - Electric, Electronics Manufacturer annapolishybridmarine.com

Annapolis Naval Sailing Association Sailing Club Tent Associations, Clubs, Schools, Non Profit Organization navalacademysailingfoundation.org

Annapolis Sailing School Tent B 9 Associations, Clubs, Schools annapolissailing.com

Blackwing Metals Tent A 32 Jewelry blackwingmetals.com

Blazing Bella Balsamic & Olive Oil Tent B 19 Food, Beverage blazingbella.com

Buldano, LLC Tent A 8 Matresses, Bedding, Clothing, Footwear, Furniture, Furnishings, Interior Design buldano.com

Cane Mixers Tent B 31, No Wake Zone Food, Beverage canecollective.com

Captain Papa Sailing Tent A 19 Publications Education captainpapasailing.org

Chesapeake Area Professional Captains Association Tent A 28 Associations, Clubs, Boating Safety Courses, Information, Yacht Delivery, Non Profit Organization capca.net

Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) Tent A 5 Non Profit Organization crabsailing.org

Chesapeake Yacht Club Tent B 10 Associations, Clubs, Marinas, Marina Management chesapeakeyachtclub.com

Chocolate Moonshine of Maryland Tent B 18 Food, Beverage chocolatemoonshineofmd.com

Chronic Sailing Tent B 33 Charters, Schools, Yacht Delivery chronicsailing.com

Cruiser Services Tent A 17 Galley Equipment, Refrigeration, Water Systems cruiserowater.com

Crusader Yacht Sales

Dock A Jeanneau 410, 440 Dealer / Broker crusaderyachts.com

Cutco Cutlery Tent B 16 Knives cutco.com

David Walters Yachts

A Hylas 56 Dealer / Broker davidwaltersyachts.com

Dragonfly Trimarans Northeast, LLC Dock A Dragonfly 36 Manufacturer dragonfly.dk

East Coast Sailboats, Inc. Land 3 Birdyfish Race, Birdyfish S Manufacturer eastcoastsailboats.com

Events DC Tent B 14 Racing eventsDC.com

Fawcett Marine Supplies Tent B 1, 2, 3 Clothing, Footwear, Engine - Outboard, Foul Weather Gear, Inflatables, Repairs, Life Saving Equipment, Coolers-soft, hard sided, Engine - Electric fawcettboat.com

Flying Scot Land 2 Manufacturer flyingscot.com

Gill North America

3 Foul Weather Gear, Clothing, Footwear gillmarine.com

Ginger Cove

A 11 Associations, Clubs, Real Estate, Waterfront gingercove.com

Gray Wolf® Spirits No Wake Zone Food, Beverage graywolfspirits.com

Great Day Improvements

Renovations greatdayimprovements.com

GW Medical Faculty Associates Tent A 25 Health and Wellness gwdocs.com

Handcraft Mattress Company Tent A 3

A 4 Matresses, Bedding boatbeds.com

Herrington Harbour Sailing Association Sailing Club Tent Associations, Clubs, Boating Safety Courses, Information hhsa.org

Hospice Cup Land 9 Non Profit Organization hospicecup.org

IKEA College Park No Wake Zone Furniture, Furnishings, Interior Design ikea.com

Jetty Land 6 Clothing, Footwear jettylife.com

JT Yachts Dock A Bavaria 42 www.sjyachts.com

Kufner Yachts USA Dock A Kufner 54 Manufacturer kufneryachtsusa.com

Latitude 38 No Wake Zone Food, Beverage latitude38waterfront.com

Ling’s Crystal Collection Tent B 17 Jewelry, Watches lingscrystalcollection.com

Lippincott Marine Canvas And Metal Tent A 24 Davits, Hoists Custom Canvas lippincottmarinecanvas.com

M & E Sales Tent A 14, 15 Furniture, Furnishings, Interior Design palmerhenley.com

Maptech Tent A 10

Nautical Charts, Publications, Navigational Electronics & Software, Navigation maptech.com

Marine Trades Assoc. of Maryland Tent B 13 Non Profit Organization mtam.org

Maryland School of Sailing and Seamanship Tent B 29 Schools mdschool.com

McMichael Yacht Yards & Brokers Dock A Hanse 410 mcmichaelyachtbrokers.com

Mid-Shore Electronics Tent A 1, 2 Alarm Systems, Antennas, Autopilots, Batteries, Chargers, Nautical Charts, Depth Sounders, Dock Systems, Devices, Accessories, Electrical Equipment, Systems, Inverters, Lights - Navigational, Cabin, Underwater, Music Systems, Radios, Solar Power Equipment, Life Saving Equipment, Wind Generators, Navigational Electronics & Software, AIS Systems, Electronics Installation, Repair mid-shore-electronics.com

Natural Resources Police, Safety Education Tent A 33 Boating Safety Courses, Information, Environmental Protection dnr.maryland.gov

NautibagsUS Tent B 20 Bags, Dry Bags, Accessories nautibagsus.com

New York Life Insurance Tent A 29 Insurance, Documentation newyorklife.com

North Point Yacht Sales LLC

Dock A Beneteau 34, 40.1, 46.1, 47, Beneteau First 44, J Boats J 80 Dealer / Broker northpointyachtsales.com

Norton’s Yachts Dock A Saffier 33 Dealer / Broker nortonyachts.com

OceanPoint Marine Lending Tent B 15 Finance, Banking oceanpointmarinelending.com

Peninsula Sailors Sailing Club Tent Associations, Clubs sailbp.com

Pherm Brewing Company No Wake Zone Food, Beverage phermbrewing.com

Power Home Remodeling Tent A 12 Renovations PowerHRG.com

Renewal by Andersen Tent A 31 Renovations renewalbyandersen.com

RGS Distributors Tent B 23, 24 Water Systems, Filtration Systems rgspurespace.com

Richard J. Fisco

Sunglasses, Boat Accessories

Rolly Tasker Sails/ Annapolis Boat Service

Sail Furling Systems, Sails, Sail Covers, Repairs annapolisboatservice.com

S&J Yachts Dock A, Tent B

B 21 Bavaria 42 Dealer / Broker sjyachts.com

Sail Annapolis

A Catalina 426, Beneteau 40.1 Associations, Clubs, Dealer / Broker sailannapolis.com

Sail Away Catamarans

A Seawind 1170 Charters sailawaycatamarans.com

Sail Beyond Cancer Annapolis

8 Non Profit Organization sailbeyondcancer.org

Sail Solomons Dock A Seawind 1260 Charters, Schools sailsi.com

Sails of Hope Chesapeake Land 4 Non Profit Organization sailsofhopechesapeake.org

Sailtime Annapolis, LLC Dock A Beneteau 38 Fractional Boating sailtime.com

Seven Seas Cruising Association Tent B 25 Associations, Clubs, Boating Safety Courses, Information, Non Profit Organization ssca.org

Signature Catamarans Dock A Lagoon 43, 38 Dealer / Broker signaturecatamarans.com

Singles on Sailboats Sailing Club Tent Asssociations, Clubs singlesonsailboats.org

Six Knots Tent B 5, 6 Clothing, Footwear sixknots.com

SoCo Swings Land 1

Dock Systems, Devices, Accessories, Furniture, Furnishings, Interior Design, Boat Accessories socoswings.com

Spadefish, Inc. Tent B 27 Boat Accessories spadefish.net

SpinSheet Magazine Tent B 34 Publications spinsheet.com

Spite Sailing Dock A Class Mini RG 650 Racing spitesailing.com

Star Blink USA Tent A 7 Cleaners, Polishes starblinkusa.com

Sterling Acceptance Corp. Tent B 32 Finance, Banking, Insurance, Documentation sterlingacceptance.com

Stevens Battery Warehouse Tent A 9 Batteries, Chargers stevensbattery.com

Summit Marine Fire and Safety Tent B 28 Fire Prevention summitfiremarine.com

Sun Powered Yachts Tent B 4 Solar Power Equipment, Electrical Equipment, Systems, Batteries, Chargers sunpoweredyachts.com

Tektite Industries, Inc./Tekna Tent A 35 Diving Gear, Knives, Lights - Navigational, Cabin, Underwater, Boat Accessories, Electronics tek-tite.com

The Corinthians Sailing Club Tent Associations, Clubs www.thecorinthians.org

The Deck & Fence Depot Tent A 30 Decking, Fencing thedeckandfencedepot.com

The Pets Table Tent A 34 Pet Accessories thepetstable.com

The Sailing Academy Dock A Viko S30 Associations, Clubs, Brokerage, Charters, Fractional Boating, Schools thesailingacademy.com

TowBoatU.S. Annapolis Tent B 26 Towing towboatusbaltimore.com

True North Inflatables Land 5 Paddleboards, Floating Mats, Dinghies truenorthinflatables.com

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Tent A 13 Governmental Agencies, Non Profit Organization cgaux.org

Vacation Village Resorts Main Gate Accommodations, Destinations, Vacations vacationvillageresorts.com

Veteran Yacht Sales Dock A Catalina 425 veteranyachtsales.com

Waypoints Yacht Charters Dock A Dufour 41 Charters waypoints.com

Weems & Plath Tent A 16

Binoculars, Night Vision, Telescopes, Nautical Charts, Clocks, Barometers, Compasses, Sextants, Lights - Navigational, Cabin, Underwater, Navigation, Boat Accessories, Bags, Dry Bags, Accessories weems-plath.com

Williams & Heintz Map Corp.

B 30 Nautical Charts, Publications, Navigational Electronics & Software, Navigation whchartbook.com

Windcraft Multihulls

A Dragonfly 36 dragonfly.dk

Yacht Brokers of Annapolis Land B7, B8 Brokerage yachtbrokersofannapolis.com

Over-50’

Hylas 56

David Walters Yachts

Dock A

Kufner 54

Kufner Yachts USA

Dock A

Fountaine Pajot 51

ACY Yachts

Dock A

47’-48’

Beneteau 47

North Point Yacht Sales LLC

Dock A

Beneteau 46.1

North Point Yacht Sales LLC

Dock A

40’-44’

Beneteau First 44

North Point Yacht Sales LLC

Dock A

Dufour 44

ACY Yachts

Dock A

Fountaine Pajot 44

ACY Yachts

Dock A

40’-44’

Jeanneau 44

Crusader Yacht Sales

Dock A

Catalina 426

Sail Annapolis

Dock A

Lagoon 43

Signature Catamarans

Dock A

Beneteau 40.1

North Point Yacht Sales LLC

Dock A

Bavaria 42

JT Yachts

Dock A

Beneteau 40.1

Sail Annapolis

ock A

Catalina 425

Veteran Yacht Sales

Dock A

Fountaine Pajot 41

ACY Yachts

Dock A

Jeanneau 410

Crusader Yacht Sales

Dock A

Hanse 410

McMichael Yacht Yards & Brokers

Dock A

40’-44’

Seawind 1260

Sail Solomons

Dock A

Dufour 41

Waypoints Yacht Charters

Dock A

Seawind 1170

Sail Away Catamarans

Dock A

37’-38’

Beneteau 38

Sailtime Annapolis, LLC

Dock A

Lagoon 38

Signature Catamarans

Dock A

Dragonfly 36

Windcraft Multihulls

Dock A

30’-35’

Beneteau 34

North Point Yacht Sales LLC

Dock A

Saffier 33

Norton’s Yachts

Dock A

Viko S30

The Sailing Academy

Dock A

21’-26’

J Boats J 80

North Point Yacht Sales LLC

Dock A

Class Mini RG 650

Spite Sailing

Dock A

15’-19’

Flying Scot FS

Flying Scot

Land 2

Birdyfish Race

East Coast Sailboats, Inc.

Land 3

Under 15’

Birdyfish S

East Coast Sailboats, Inc.

Land 3

BacK to SaILInG SchooL

Sailing schools along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries range from basic learn-to-sail programs to intermediate navigation and cruising programs. Many charter companies and boat clubs also offer excellent instruction for sailors of all levels, from newcomers to experienced sailors seeking to renew or increase their skills and earn certifications.

We at SpinSheet encourage you to call around to various sailing programs, starting with the ones on these pages, and ask about their programs and certifications. Top sailing schools offer American Sailing (ASA) or US Sailing certifications, and their instructors are certified in classroom and on-water instruction.

Your instructors will be very important pieces of the puzzle as you learn and grow as a sailor. We reached out to several passionate instructors about their experience, the challenges of teaching, their teaching philosophies, and safety. Their responses give an insightful peek into what to expect when seeking instruction.

To learn more about getting into sailing, visit startsailingnow.com.

The Dynamic Environment of a Sailboat as a Powerful Classroom

Captain Rick Robey of SailTime Annapolis started sailing on Lasers in San Diego when he was in the Navy. “Like many sailors, I started small and that turned out to be the perfect classroom.” Since then, most of his sailing has been daysailing on everything from dinghies to 75foot sloops on the Chesapeake Bay. His experiences include coastal cruising, offshore passages, chartering, and extensive instructional sailing.

When did you get into teaching sailing?

I began teaching around 2007 after joining the Pentagon Sailing Club at Joint Base Bolling in Washington, DC. I took a sailing course there and soon found myself on the other side of the cockpit, helping teach basic sailing classes.

In 2009, when the club became an American Sailing affiliate, I earned my certifications to teach ASA 101, 103, 104, and 105. Over the years, I continued developing as an instructor and am now an American Sailing Master Instructor teaching other sailors to become certified sailing instructors.

What do you like best about teaching

adults to sail?

I enjoy watching the moment when it clicks. There is a point when students stop reacting to the boat and start anticipating what it needs, when they feel the wind shift before they see it, or trim instinctively instead of mechanically.

Many adults come to sailing later in life. They bring discipline, curiosity, and real-world experience. When they discover they can confidently take the helm, manage sails, and make sound decisions, it is empowering.

What are the challenges?

Every student learns differently. Some are visual learners and need to see the sail shape. Others are auditory and benefit from explanation. Many are kinesthetic and need to put their hands on the sheet and feel the load.

Teaching adults requires understanding adult learning principles. Adults are usually self-directed, experience-based,

and problem-centered. They do not just want to be told what to do. They want to understand why.

On a sailboat, conditions are constantly changing. Wind shifts. Traffic appears. Systems need attention. The challenge and the art are tailoring instruction in real time while maintaining safety and momentum. That dynamic environment is also what makes sailing such a powerful classroom.

Can you describe a success story from last season?

Last season, I worked with a couple who were brand new to big boat sailing. They were initially assigned to train on a 41-foot Jeanneau Sun Odyssey. It became clear that the boat was more than they needed at that stage. Size adds complexity, more sail area, more load, more systems. We transitioned them to a 35-foot Beneteau. It was a better fit, responsive, manageable, and less intimidating.

The difference was immediate. Their confidence grew. They completed their training successfully and went on to have a fantastic season sailing the Chesapeake. Over time, they expanded their comfort zone and gained experi-

ence that will eventually allow them to handle larger boats safely. Seeing them out sailing regularly, smiling, competent, and independent, was deeply satisfying.

What’s your teaching philosophy?

Let’s enjoy our time on the water safely

and confidently. Sailing should be fun, but it should also be intentional. Seamanship, situational awareness, and sound judgment are what allow us to relax and truly enjoy the experience. Confidence comes from competence. And competence comes from time on the water, learning, practicing, and staying curious.

Invest in Your Skills Before Buying That Big Boat

Captain Phinehas “Phin” Bowen of The Sailing Academy learned to sail as early as three or four years old: “I was always with my dad (Capt. Jeff), doing deliveries, and learned while he was coaching at a nonprofit for inner city kids.”

When

did you start teaching sailing?

At the age of 12! It’s funny—in the labor laws in Maryland, there’s an exception for having a work permit for farming and agriculture and teaching sailing.

Could you summarize your sailing experience?

After a few years of working with kids, my family moved onto a 44-foot Farrier bluewater performance cruising catamaran. We ran our youth programs in summer, and in the off-season we sailed

down the East Coast to the Bahamas as a family. I am the oldest of five children who lived aboard.

What

do you like best about teaching adults to sail?

It’s very similar to teaching kids. There are all sorts of personality traits and learning styles. I fell in love with teaching at an early age and got my US Sailing certification at 16 and my captain’s license at 18. I love learning how to communicate the art of sailing to people in different ways so that they understand it. People ask me, “Do you ever get tired of teaching sailing?” The

answer is “no.” It’s always the people who keep me interested. There are different dynamics in every class. I treat it as a problem I get to solve.

Can you describe a success story from last

season?

While teaching kids, I always have a lot of fun, but I also like teaching senior citizens who’ve always had the dream and are finally getting to it (my oldest student was 96). One such student had some mobility issues that made it a little harder to learn. It was so much fun to see him wondering if he could actually do this at this stage in his life to him being confident that he could do it. We went over a few tactics for overcoming his limitations and still go out in a safe manner. To see him come alive on the boat was amazing.

If you could put your sailing teaching motto on a tee shirt, what would it say?

It’s the craftsman, not the hammer. It’s the magician, not the wand. I meet a lot of people whose dream is to go cruising. They ask, “What boat do I need?” Instead of getting the biggest boat you can find, invest in your sailing education, really learn the skills and craftsmanship before investing in the coolest tool in the toolbox.

Fear of Making Mistakes

Captain Shawn Owen of Chronic Sailing in Annapolis discusses what makes students most apprehensive about when they first embark on their sailing journeys and how he reassures them.

Ifind most students are the most apprehensive about making a mistake that would cause damage to the boat or themselves. I try to create situations where they can fail with minimal consequences. Once they see that not all mistakes are catastrophic and there is actually more margin for error than they thought, they gain the confidence to push the limits a bit. Once they can achieve success while pushing the limit, now we’ve made a real breakthrough.

Tunesday Concerts 2026

Chronic Sailing hosts free floating concerts at 6 p.m. on Tuesday evenings in Back Creek Annapolis from May to August—a truly special community event for music and water lovers. All are welcome. Find the full schedule at chronicsailing.com

Andrew Cobun of Annapolis Sailing School started his sailing journey in the British Virgin Islands (BVI):

When did you learn to sail and on what type of boat?

I began sailing at 13 on family sailing charters in the BVI and learned to sail on big cruising boats first, so I did things backward. As I got older and more capable, I started steering and handling lines and winches. Every year we’d charter—a Beneteau 40, a Jeanneau 50, and later Leopard catamarans. That continued until 2012 when I took ASA 101 at the Annapolis Sailing School. I found my true passion when

I got my certification and began teaching in 2022.

What

are the challenges of teaching adults?

Many people think that learning a boat is intuitive to everyone when it is not. There is a mental skillset that makes it different than driving a camper, for example. Sail trim and points of sail can be tricky to figure out. People want to learn to sail but don’t read any of the textbook before they come to class. They think they can just pick it up in a couple of days… So many students want to rush the certification process. The best ones take the time to understand what it takes. The experience and practice between the class and certification take you to the next level.

Can you describe a success story from last season?

It was a very special class for me, a 103 class. I had a student who was a bilateral amputee. I was lucky enough to have him

in a solo class. He was by far the best student that I have ever had in my career, as far as his adaptation on the boat, intuitive learning, and attention to detail. He picked up all the skills from docking to singlehanding. It was really a special moment for me.

If you could put your sailing teaching motto on a tee shirt, what would it say?

At the beginning of every class, let’s go out and have some fun and learn some things along the way. That’s what it’s all about.

Was there anything else you wanted to add?

One of my favorite things about sailing is that it’s one of the oldest forms of transportation. It’s so cool that it’s still alive today. There’s something special about the fact that you can sail completely around the world without using a tank of gas. That it’s a sustainable means of transport brings it full circle to me.

The Culture of Onboard Safety

Captain Frank McKee, the lead instructor at Gratitude Sailing Institute, shares thoughts and tips on sailing safety:

“She’s 40 feet long, she’s beautiful, and she can kill you.” So, echo the words directed to the sailing students of my dear friend and sailinginstructor colleague, Captain Duncan Hood, when describing a sailboat. It’s an attention-grabber, immediately commanding respect, elevating safety to the highest rank aboard. On a sailboat, safety is not a task; it is a culture. Ominous? Perhaps, but also remember, you can be safe, learn, and still have fun.

Here are some key points I use on the first day when briefing students:

Operational Safety

• Sailboats are constantly in motion and can move suddenly. Always maintain three points of contact: two for you, one for the boat.

• Stay low. This reduces the likelihood of falling.

• Treat every line as if it’s under load, as it can move or tighten suddenly becoming dangerous.

• Line and winch handling technique— start with 10 and end with 10 fingers.

• Situational awareness: your danger zone is above, below, and around you.

• If unsure, stop and ask.

Systemic Safety

• Wear personal floatation devices (PFD) at all times and clip in when conditions warrant.

• Carry a rigging knife.

• Locate emergency equipment such as flares, fire extinguishers, and throw buoys.

• Locate the VHF radio and know how to use it.

• Tap out if you’re tired, cold, confused, or need a break.

• If you see something unsafe, say something, and if necessary, intervene.

• Complacency kills. Remember: one fail, all fail.

• Use weather and other external factors when making “go, no-go” decisions; it may be the best sail you never took.

For more sailing safety information, see US Sailing, American Sailing, the BoatUS Foundation, or the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

From Instructor to Sailing School Owner:

David Kunselman of Sail Solomons

Meet David Kunselman, who with his wife, Molly, recently took the helm of Sail Solomons, the longrespected and well-known sailing school in Solomons, MD. Kunselman spent 23 years in the Navy and for 16 years was a very involved volunteer with the Pentagon Sailing Club, serving as an instructor, training coordinator, and club commodore. A passionate sailor, Kunselman imagined he might start his own small sailing school; but a different opportunity arose, and his plans changed course after a long chat and a beer.

Where did you grow up and how did you get into sailing?

I grew up in Pennsylvania, but my grandfather was a sailing instructor at the Naval Academy, and I started sailing with him in Maryland when I was eight.

Tell us about your experience as a sailing instructor.

I got my initial instructor certifications from American Sailing Association (ASA) in 2011, though I had taught under Navy Sailing before that. ASA is nicely set up to help adults who want to develop sailing skills as a recreational pursuit which makes it fun.

How did you come to be the new owner of Sail Solomons and what are you most looking forward to as you take the helm?

I had been thinking about selling my catamaran and buying a keelboat to start my own little sailing school when I saw Jeff Carlsen (the previous owner of Sail Solomons) post on the ASA instructor’s private page if anyone was interested. Sail Solomons had a good reputation and was close to home, so I drove down to meet Jeff one afternoon. We had a long chat and a beer, and the rest is history.

What is your wife Molly’s role in the business? Have you worked together previously?

Molly is running the day-to-day business side of Sail Solomons as I am still working supporting the Navy. She has experience with small business operations and education administration and is learning all about the sailing instruction and chartering business. Our only previous shared work was raising a

family. We have two kids, one grown up and living in Norway and the other in college.

What kind of sailing do you and Molly do for fun?

We have cruised on the Chesapeake for years both with the Pentagon Sailing Club and on our own boats. We have enjoyed visiting many places, participating in the Rock Hall Pirates Festival, and racing in the Governor’s Cup and other events around the Bay. I also race and sail beach cats, but those are not really Molly’s cup of tea. We both loved going on flotilla to St. Martin this winter with Sail Solomons, so we are looking forward to that again in the future.

Any non-boating passions that you’d like to mention?

We have a big, historic house which we love, and we are members of the American Chestnut Land Trust in Calvert County.

What else would you like to share with SpinSheet readers?

I love sailing and try to inspire the same passion for the sport in others, both young and grown up. The moment when a new sailor finally relaxes, tiller in hand, adjusts the boat with the wind and waves, and smiles is always satisfying.

Learn more at sailsi.com

Safety Series Part 1

Equipping Your Boat for Ocean Racing

By Staff

What does it take to make your boat and crew race-ready and as safe as possible for your first ocean race? For Annapolis sailor Bruce Irvin, it took more than a year of safety training, veteran racers’ guidance, an offshore coach, a dedicated crew, and many hours of hard work.

Irvin says, “Growing up, I thought it would be exciting to race offshore. Life moves fast, and the opportunity to try it out never arose. That aspiration never left, so after 10 great seasons racing Shamrock (J/30), I decided to make offshore racing a reality before too much more sand passed through the hourglass. This meant moving to an ocean-capable platform (the Corby 40 Time Machine). I was very fortunate to have a great crew ready to figure it out together.”

Last year’s Annapolis to Newport Race (A2N) was Irvin’s first offshore race: “I have done a lot of racing over the years, some ocean-adjacent, but I had zero miles of actual offshore experience. There was a lot to learn.”

He started with the two-day US Sailing Safety at Sea course hosted at the Naval Academy. He says, “There is a huge advantage to climbing into a life raft for the first time, wearing foul weather gear and an inflated life vest, in the safety of an indoor pool. You quickly realize that it’s difficult and much better to do when your life is not on the line. The Safety at Sea course is the finest skills training available.”

Time Machine had an impressive racing history in Ireland, France, and the United Kingdom, including seven Fastnet Races, before being shipped to Annapolis in 2023.

The new owner said, “The boat needed all new wiring, battery management, instruments, and standing rigging to meet safety requirements. We also removed the rudder to inspect the finger bearings, replaced the steering quadrant chain, replaced the gooseneck and mainsheet

attachment point, and rewired the mast. I am not sure how the Europeans managed their freshwater needs, but there were no water tanks or room for a main tank onboard. The solution was to strap a roto-molded 60-gallon tank over the keel in the middle of an already cramped main cabin. I had many concerns, but it performed flawlessly and functioned unintentionally as a leaning post for changing between watches.”

As with any reputable offshore race, A2N organizers offered detailed safety requirements and hosted in-depth seminars on safety, boat setup, and naviga-

tion. Irvin appreciated the generous sharing of knowledge and guidance of the race organizers and community.

“The difficult part was managing all the tasks needed to bring the boat back into offshore readiness,” Irvin says. “For weekend racing, I am used to just needing good sails, a clean bottom, motivated crew, and a full cooler. Digesting the safety requirements for ocean racing was a great learning opportunity, and the race organizers helped to answer questions along the way. The original goal was to get the boat ready for the 2024 Annapolis to Bermuda Race (A2B) with

about four months of preparation. Reality came quickly; it was clear we needed more time. It took us a full year and four months to get the boat and team ready to make the 2025 A2N race.”

The Time Machine crew invested their time and elbow grease: “The crew worked weekends and evenings to install the water system, construct a new companionway ladder, refit the pipe berths, make new floorboards, sand and paint the interior, replace blocks, clean/grease winches, and put together a first class medical kit.”

Of hiring professional racer and offshore coach Jahn Tihansky to train his crew on the water, Irvin says, “He arrived at the dock wearing what he would for the race along with his meticulously packed, small dry bag. Jahn walked us through what a pro sailor would bring and how to pack it. We took the boat out to do crew overboard/rescue training, headsail changes, reefing, rail sailbagging, and heavy-air gybing drills over two days. Jahn’s training was invaluable to getting us well prepared on time. We also did an overnight practice race down the Bay to test the new systems,

use the JetBoil stove, and run our watch schedule.”

When asked if during the race he ended up thankful for any of his safety equipment, Irvin explains, “At 3 a.m., in heavy fog, we happened to run into an unlighted deep water fishing rig and its pickup buoy. After speaking with the Coast Guard on the radio, I was grateful to use our on-deck emergency knife to cut the line wrapped around the keel and continue with the race.”

The skipper admits that they had overlooked careful meal planning and only had freeze dried packs and water on the list. He says, “Fortunately, crew member Rachel Kroll saw the gap and spent a few days prior to the race adding squeezables and snacks for each crew member for each meal, for each day, into named freezer bags. This made getting calories and liquids very easy and allowed crew members to eat on deck, reducing time spent below. Thanks to Rachel, everyone was hydrated and fed. Tired and hungry is a bad combo.”

What will the crew do differently for their next offshore race? “Experiencing zero visibility in fog at night is not

pleasant. I have been in very low visibility situations at night but never when the bow was obscured by dense fog. It produces a perfect sensory deprivation chamber. AIS is good, but there are many other hazards in the water besides ships and charted navigational aids. I quickly learned that radar is worth the extra weight and expense.”

Irvin’s Time Machine team has registered for the 2026 A2B Race, which begins June 5 off Annapolis. In addition to adding radar, he says, “Additional steps are an improved navigation station and adding a lower bobstay to the pole for strength. We will do another two days of on-the-water training and an overnight test race.”

When it comes to onboard safety, he adds, “It is remarkable to see how technology has made ocean racing safer and more accessible over the last few decades. We now have continuous satellite navigation, weather routing software, internet, and AIS. These advances, along with world-class training and race organizers who are dedicated to every crew member’s safety, are great testaments to our amazing sport.” #

This article is the first of a three-part series. Learn about teaching safety procedures to your crew in our May issue. Find past safety articles at spinsheet.com/safety Learn more: To find safety requirement lists, safety seminars, and other racing information for the A2B, visit bermudaoceanrace.com; and for more about the 2027 A2N, visit annapolisnewportrace.com

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Offshore Rigging Specialists

THE GALAPAGOS: A Little World Within Itself

By Andy Wescoat

The 850-nm voyage from Panama to Galapagos takes you through the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), or more affectionately known to sailors as The Doldrums and across the Equator. On our five-day journey, The Doldrums lived up to their name: frequent late afternoon and evening squalls and little wind other times. Looking back at our logbook, I found we had motored for 78 of the 122-hour trip.

On the other hand, crossing the Equator was quite fun and a good cause for celebration. Time in memoriam, sailors have celebrated the event, transitioning from “pollywogs” to “shellbacks” as they cross the line. As we crossed the line, we enjoyed a bit of bubbly, offering Neptune his share in hopes of granting us further safe passages and thrilling adventures.

Before we had the anchor securely set in San Cristobal, Galapagos, we were boarded by a boatload of local officials: medical officers, the Navy, Customs, Immigration, Ports Authority, Park Authority, and the dreaded diver. Why is a diver dreaded you ask? The Galapagos are rightfully concerned about invasive species hitching a boat ride to their shores. The diver checks your boat bottom as you enter for a pass/ fail grade. Failing means you have to sail 60 miles offshore with a different diver for a bottom cleaning. While we had cleaned, checked, cleaned, and re-checked, passing is a very low threshold. Fortunately, we received the thumbs up signal. With the officials gone and clearance completed, libations followed as an equatorial rainstorm deluged us.

Darwin referred to the Galapagos as “a little world within itself.” In the “Voyage of the Beagle,” he wrote, “by far the most remarkable feature in the natural history

of this archipelago… is that the different islands to a considerable extent are inhabited by a different set of beings… I never dreamed that islands, about 50 or 60 miles apart, and for the most of them in sight of each other, formed of precisely the same rocks, placed under a quite similar climate, rising to nearly equal height, would have been differently tenanted.”

As we came ashore, the first “set of beings” to greet us were sea lions, hundreds of sea lions, lounging on the rocky coast, barking up a storm... truly entertaining. Amazing how they comfortably lounge on jagged rocks. Of course, maybe that’s why they’re barking. A full moon one night had them all riled up; to the point where one was chasing another down the street until the chaser simply flopped over, full stop!

While we set-up a sea lion deterrent system (a bunch of fenders off the back of the boat), a few still came onboard. They are incredibly crafty and curious. A bit of clapping and shooing is enough to get them moving along, though.

Our cruising permit allowed us to anchor in the designated harbors on San Cristobal, Isabella, and Santa Cruz. More extensive cruising permits are difficult to get, expensive, and require having a park guide onboard. To go beyond the anchorages, taking local tours which also come with park guides is an easy option.

On San Cristobal, we circled the island experiencing the landscape, snorkeling at various locations, and enjoying the local beaches. Snorkeling with the sea lions and sea turtles was amazing.

We had a nice 90-nm sail to San Isabela, a land mass of five volcanoes that amalgamated into a single island over the millennia. Guess what? More sea lions, although not as many. Here we came

across blue-footed boobies, lava gulls, pelicans, Galapagos penguins, flamingos pacific green turtles, hawksbill turtles, eagle rays, and reef sharks. It’s less developed than San Cristobal and Santa Cruz, and more what we expected—fewer people, dirt roads, but still a few good places to eat.

At Santa Cruz, our third anchorage, we experienced beautiful beaches a short hike from the anchorage. With a number of grocery and hardware stores, it is also a good spot to prepare for the long passage to the Marquesas.

Our circumnavigation was an amazing experience. Only five weeks into our adventure, the wildlife and beauty of the Galapagos opened our eyes and whetted

our appetite to what lay ahead. If we had one regret, it would be that we didn’t get a diving certification before we left. While snorkeling was amazing, diving would have opened a broader underwater experience, particularly in the Galapagos.

Captain’s Tips:

• Before leaving Panama, make sure your bottom is spotless! Make your alcohol purchases in Panama; prices only go up until you reach Australia.

• If you have time, spend a few days cruising the Las Perlas Islands near Panama.

• Refueling is generally done in Santa Cruz and requires considerable coordination and paperwork. Procedures and requirements change so be sure to research in advance.

About the Author: Andy and Heej Wescoat completed a circumnavigation aboard Kaja, a 2001 Farr 50 pilothouse, with the World ARC in 2025.

Celebrating a Milestone Birthday in the BVI

By Carrie Gentile

Despite crowded mooring fields and pricey provisions, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) did not disappoint. This string of 50-plus volcanic islands is popular among sailors for a reason, as we recently learned first-hand. The relaxed, easy sailing, eye-popping seafoam-colored water, perfectly placed palm trees, well-stocked beach bars, and the odd secluded beach won us over.

In late January, just as 18 inches of snow were falling on Maryland, we made a mad sprint to catch our flights to paradise. We bareboat chartered two catamarans that held our group of 20, mostly comprised of Annapolis sailors. We were a mix of BVI newbies and frequent visitors. Eleven of us sailed a 50-foot Saba while nine of us sailed a 47-foot Fountaine Pajot Tanna.

For two years, Annapolis sailor Mike Jewell planned a sailing extravaganza for his 60th birthday, including a week with his family and a week with his close friends, aka his “other” family. Coordinating flights, provisioning food and alcohol, and creating itineraries demanded several Zoom calls, text messages, and excel spreadsheets. In the end, we all landed in Tortola, taxied to BVI Yacht Charters in

Road Town, and began our weeklong stay aboard.

After a thorough chart and systems briefing by a helpful staff person named Tika, she helped us off the dock. Do not be a hero. Everyone on our boat is an experienced sailor, but the charter company wedges the boats tighter than passengers flying coach. Tika nimbly got us off the dock with about three feet of wiggle room on either end, working the throttles in 24 knots of breeze. She is my new hero.

The wind whipped through our hair as we entered the Sir Francis Drake Channel, a deep blustery strait that connects much of the island chain. Our itinerary took us from Road Town, Tortola, to North Sound, Virgin Gorda; Anegada; Great Harbor on Jost Van Dyke; and to the Bight at Norman Island, with a stop at the Indians: four rocky outcrops great for snorkeling. The steady Caribbean Christmas Winds delivered a consistent breeze between 17 and 20 knots all week. Sailing was possible every day.

I arrived with plenty of sunscreen and no preconceived ideas. This way, I felt as though we made our own little

discoveries in these well-trampled cruising grounds.

Highlights:

The Baths: on Virgin Gorda are as close to mandatory as they come in the BVI. Amble through a watery maze of school bus–size boulders formed by an ancient underwater volcano. A series of ladders and ropes led us to cool blue grottos tucked along a white-sand beach. We

arrived via taxi from Leverick Bay, but boats can moor there and you can swim in. Check bathsflagstatus.com for daily coastal water conditions.

Don’t miss the BVI cocktail, the Bushwacker, a boozy chocolate and coconut drink that tastes like a milkshake. I recommend the Bushwacker at the Top of the Baths restaurant.

Snorkeling: We snorkeled whenever and wherever we could, which was about every day. While coral reefs in many parts of the Caribbean are fading, sea life is still abundant. Our group collectively saw sea turtles, a 15-foot nurse shark, sting rays, and schools of yellow and blue reef fish so thick you had to part them with your hands. Pack your own snorkel and mask; I was happy with the free pair of fins complements of the charter company, but others brought their own. We recommend snorkeling at Loblobby Bay on Anegada, The Indians, and the Caves on Norman Island. Also, we snorkeled from our anchorage in the Bight on Norman Island where we swam with sea turtles and spied on cuttlefish.

THappy Hours on Saba Rock:

The BVI are littered with beachy bars, but Saba Rock’s Sunset Bar hit the mark, and not just for its $5 drink specials. From 4-6 p.m. daily, sailors from around the world gather on this one-acre island/resort. Someone described Saba as a mix of a Jimmy Buffett song and a Hemingway novel, and I felt that. The sunset from this rock in North Sound is stunning.

Tips for a BVI charter

• Have at least one person along with your designated skipper present at the mandatory boat briefing with the charter company. The information on the heads, windlass, VHF, water system, generator, dinghy, and sails comes at you fast. Take notes and check that everything is functioning properly.

• Consider renting fishing gear. We rented trolling and casting gear and

Charter Directory

hese sailboat charter companies specialize in sailing destinations such as the Chesapeake Bay, Northeast United States, Northwest United States, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and South Pacific. Contact them and book your charter dream vacation today!

caught a big-eye tuna Northeast of Anegada. We quickly turned it into tuna ceviche.

• Check the cruise ship schedule before heading to the Baths to avoid the crowds: bviports.org/cruise-schedule

• Calculate how much cash you think you’ll need and double it. You’ll need cash for taxis for onshore adventures, and trash disposal and ice; even many restaurants prefer cash. ATMs are hard to find.

• Order toys for the boat. Several outfitters will rent you boat accessories. We chose floating beach chairs, a double kayak, dinghy ladder, and a Sunchill inflatable large mesh float that held all of us.

• Pack light: A few beach outfits, two or more bathing suits, a lightweight long sleeve shirt, and a good hat for sun protection. Consider bringing walking shoes or good-traction sandals for hiking around the islands.

• Use the buddy system, especially while snorkeling. Our large group often split up to pursue the activity of their choice,

but it’s smart to make sure no one is alone, especially in water.

• Bring a favorite knife, spices, and other galley necessities. The galley tools on the boats are lackluster and frustrating. Try cutting limes with a butter knife.

• Check out less touristy bars. While I felt obliged as a first-timer to the BVI to visit the Soggy Dollar and Foxy’s, next time I will seek out less crowded, spring-break types of beach bars. For a more relaxed scene with silky white sand and frozen drinks, head to

Anegada and go to the Cow Wreck Beach Bar, Tipsy’s, or Big Bamboo Beach Bar.

• Bring an old towel. When you return your boat, the charter company will donate the towel to an animal shelter. Now you have room for the Soggy Dollar T-shirts you bought. Win-win!

• Use the BoatyBall app for reserving mooring balls in high demand locations. Set your alarm for 6:59 a.m. to reserve at 7 a.m., the soonest you can book for that day. #

protected creek provides an extra margin of safety for the 360 slips that can accommodate vessels between 15 & 55 feet long with up to a 6 foot draft.

CRUISING CLUB NOTES

Attention, Sailing Clubs! It’s spring commissioning time, and club members are prepping for the season, pulling out their spring checklists, and finalizing their cruising schedules. Share your news and events in the SpinSheet’s Club Notes Section. Send a 350-word write-up and one or more clear photos of smiling faces or pretty boats to beth@spinsheet.com to let sailors around the Bay know about your club’s sailing adventures, social gatherings, and educational events.

Parklawn Sailing Association Launches Its Season

By Bill Levitan

The sailing season has arrived for Parklawn Sailing Association (PSA). Thanks to the volunteer spirit of our members, our fleet—two Catalina 34s and a J/32—is already sailing out of Galesville, MD, on the West River. The off-season was a busy and productive one. In addition to the usual winter maintenance—sanding and painting bot-

toms, waxing topsides, and completing commissioning tasks—our members took on a major project: installing a new gearbox on one of our Catalina 34s. These hands-on efforts not only keep our boats in excellent condition, but they also reflect what PSA is all about: love of sailing, camaraderie, shared responsibility, and learning.

Winter was a time when we sharpened our skills. This year, members developed and presented several training sessions, including our annual Peter G. Newlin Racing Rules of Sailing Seminar, a detailed postmortem of an event-filled race last season, and practical workshops on knot tying and rope splicing. Whether you’re an experienced racer or a casual cruiser, there’s always something to learn at PSA.

As the sailing season ramps up, our calendar is filling out. Weekends in April, as well as selected weekdays in April and May, are reserved for training. We will conduct two orientation sails for those new to the club and refresher sails for returning members. Beyond training, our schedule includes Wednesday evening and weekend Chesapeake Bay races, full moon evening sails, sunset dinner cruises, and relaxed day and overnight trips. Our members are also beginning to reserve boats for their private use this season.

If you’re looking for an affordable way to sail, build both sailing and boat maintenance skills, and enjoy cruising the Chesapeake with likeminded sailors while not having the burden of boat ownership, we’d love to sail with you. Learn more about PSA at parklawnsailingassociation. org/wp

Peninsula Sailors Welcomes Springtime in Baltimore

By Richard Lee

As spring nears, we sailors get a little antsy about getting out on the water for some leisurely time with our families and friends. Over at Peninsula Sailors in Baltimore, our sailing community is like family. Many of us have known each other for many years, while others are new to our club and are becoming good sailing friends, crew, and mentors. All levels of sailors are welcome at Peninsula Sailors, including those that want to become sailors for the first time. We are preparing our fleet for the season and welcoming our new members to our sailing community. With training sessions scheduled, overnight events added to our calendar, and social events planned, our season is getting ready to kick off for the year.

On Saturday, February 21, Chesapeake Bristol Club (CBC) members and guests met at Pirates Cove Restaurant in Galesville, MD, for a pre-season lunch and relief from cabin fever. Amazingly, the week-long prediction of rain did not materialize. The clouds parted and sunlight shimmered off the West River as sailboats resting at anchor awaited their captains’ return.

The group of 21 enjoyed kicking back, catching up, and the pleasure of each other’s company. The well-appointed, cozy Captain’s Lounge with bar and wood burning fireplace was the perfect

Each spring we go over our checklists for each of our cruisers. This provides new members the opportunity to learn more about many of the boat systems for those interested in seeing the inner workings of sailboats. Our sewing volunteers have been busy over the winter stitching up sails, repairing canvas, and always making our fleet better prepared for the upcoming season.

Chesapeake Bristol Club

By Marty Suydam

spot for a casual gathering. There was no agenda or other expectations other than the promise of lively conversation, comfort food, and a few laughs with old friends and new acquaintances. There was, however, unexpected educational entertainment by webmaster Ted Reinhold who showed a video about ice boating in Maryland. Links can be found on the CBC website.

After welcoming the group, co-commodores Georjan and Graham Overman introduced themselves and asked those present to do the same. During lunch the commodores presented new members

So many of our members wonder “why buy a sailboat?” when you can get all the benefits of owning at a fraction of the costs. There’s no better place to sail and learn together than Peninsula Sailors! We are located at the Baltimore Peninsula in the Port Covington Marina. Come see what’s happening with our sailing community here and join us for a free guest sail. Visit sailbp. com and click on the Guest Sailor tab. You will be glad you did!

Michael and Joanne Zenger with a CBC burgee to fly off Skye, a Bristol 35.5.

Before departure, the group assembled for a photo and voiced anticipation for two other pre-season get-togethers before the official start of the season, which will be on Saturday, May 9, at 11:30 a.m. at Providence Club House in Annapolis on Mill Creek. Prospective new members are invited to attend; event details will be posted to cbclub. info.

CBC membership is open to all who enjoy sailing. The club has a year-round calendar of events, and the cost of membership is minimal. To be a member you don’t have to own a Bristol (or any boat). Dues are only $45 per year. We would welcome the opportunity to introduce you to CBC members and answer questions you may have. Cruise to cbclub.info to view the calendar, join, inquire, or RSVP to any event during the year. Use the email link on the “Joining” page to reach membership director Rebecca Burka. # A

North East River Yacht Club Cruises Into 2026 With Updates and Energy

By Dailey Tipton

In the spring of 2003, I was invited to sail in the North East River Yacht Club (NERYC) Invitational Regatta. Nearly 40 boats lined up across three competitive classes, representing clubs from throughout the Northern Bay. It was a spectacular day of racing, with tight competition.

But what stayed with me most happened after the racing. The lawn party was in full swing. More than 100 people gathered as a band played, and I was sharing a beer with the committee boat’s race officer. He gazed across the North East River toward a narrow strip of sand.

“That,” he said, pointing across the water, “is the geographic northernmost point of the Chesapeake Bay.” He paused before adding something that captured what makes this club special. “People always talk about the southern part of the Bay—Annapolis, Solomons, Norfolk. But this is the top of the Bay, and NERYC is one of the oldest clubs on the Chesapeake; I’m proud to have experienced both.”

More than two decades later, “the Club at the Top of the Bay” is looking ahead to its 100th anniversary in 2030. This vibrant, volunteer-driven organization remains deeply committed to its members and to preserving the maritime heritage of the Chesapeake.

In 2025, a Centennial Fund was launched to support an ambitious

initiative to modernize many of the club’s facilities in recognition of this 100-year milestone. New bathhouses are nearing completion, and revitalization of the bar and restaurant are next. This year, the club welcomes executive chef Andrew Lee, who brings refined coastal cuisine and fresh energy to both NERYC and the Upper Bay dining scene.

Racing remains the heartbeat of the club, and we have a renewed commitment

to competitive sailing this season, with an updated schedule paired with lively Saturday evening events. A strong Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF), dedicated race boats, and spirited cruisers deliver quality competition and camaraderie.

NERYC is home to the University of Delaware sailing team and a consolidated Northern Bay high school team, demonstrating its commitment to developing the next generation of sailors. The club hosts an annual Invitational and competes in regional regattas and has earned its reputation as a competitive and welcoming Northern Bay hub.

NERYC serves sailors and families from northern Maryland, Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania, and greater Philadelphia. For those who love the Chesapeake but find Annapolis a long drive south, it offers premier sailing, dining, sunsets, and a community closer to home.

Whether you are entering a race, exploring a new waterfront destination, or simply tying up to watch one of the finest sunsets on the Bay, visitors are always welcome at “the Club at the Top of the Bay.” Learn more at neryc.com.

Compass Boating Club of the Chesapeake Springs Forward

By Susan Theuns

It looks like 2026 will be another great season for the Compass Boating Club of the Chesapeake.

When we met in January to plot out the year’s activities, those present opted to forgo a spring sock burning. However, when members didn’t see it on the list, they said “let’s do it!” So, we put it on the schedule for March 14 on the beach of Bohemia Bay. Laura Gwinn was the “toastmaster” leading the ceremony as members and guests roasted their worn-out winter socks, beverage of choice in hand. The ceremony was followed by a pizza party in the nearby Skipper’s Lounge at Bohemia Bay Yacht Club. It is always a fun time with this group!

We also welcomed our newest member, Tom Kocubinski, who joined in for the spring ritual. We look forward to getting to know Tom, Claudia, and other new members during the sailing season.

This month is our first on-water event as we prepare our boats and crew for the sailing season. So, motor or sail to join us for the “Get R Done” raftup April 25-26.

Details are on our Facebook page under the Events tab and in members’ email boxes.

If you would like to be part of a boating club that is tailored to your sailing in-

terests, please send a brief description of your experience, contact information, and expectations to compassboatingclub@yahoo.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Join a Club and Cruise With Intriguing Sailors!

By Anne Knab

Chesapeake Bay boaters are getting their crafts ready to go back into the water and are beginning to think about various cruising destinations. Back Creek Yacht Club (BCYC) fleet captain Carlos Mojica is ahead of the game; in February he had the club’s summer Northern Adventure Cruise itinerary ready.

It has been a couple of years since the fleet has headed north, and members are looking forward to calls at Haven Harbour South, Worton Creek, Georgetown Yacht Haven, Baltimore Yacht Club, and Osprey Point Marina, following a kickoff raftup in the Magothy. Carlos is busy working with volunteers to ensure a full slate of fun activities.

People join yacht clubs for a variety of reasons, and two of the most common reasons are the camaraderie of others who enjoy boating and getting to know members such as Carlos, our fleet captain. Carlos was born in Puerto Rico “many, many” years ago. He learned at a young age to sail aboard a salvaged 39-foot Columbia Constellation which his mother named Phoenix. Every summer he would sail with his family from Puerto Rico to the Bitter End in Virgin Gorda.

Eventually Carlos was living and working in Connecticut, and with his first mate, Myrna, bought a JY-15 and joined the Thames Yacht Club in New London where they raced on Wednesday nights. Carlos and Myrna continued their sailing adventures through various work locations and on different boats before buying their 31-foot Tartan, which they named Bossa Nova for the music they enjoy while cruising the islands. The couple ended up in the Annapolis area in 2019 and joined BCYC.

Carlos calls joining the club one of the best decisions they have made. After two years as club secretary, Carlos is looking forward to his fleet captain year with the friends he and Myrna have made in the club.

Check us out at backcreekyc.org and if you like what you see, join us for happy hour on Wednesday, April 8 at 5 p.m. at Middleton Tavern in downtown Annapolis #WeConnect

Welcome Aboard: From Deck to Dock

By Janet Gonski

Ready to warm up and refresh your sailing skills? “Welcome Aboard: From Deck to Dock” may be for you. This training day, to be held on April 25, is planned and organized by Singles on Sailboats and is open to all: potential members, non-members, as well as our new(er) members.

This program is a day of education that begins with morning sessions highlighting sailing fundamentals, boat and sailing terms, how to be good crew, and introductions to the Singles on Sailboats sailing club, including how to participate and enjoy our club. After a light lunch, you will spend the afternoon dockside training on some of our club’s boats (including monohull, powerboat, and catamaran) where you will have onboard experiences with boat systems, safety gear, rigging, and much more. For years, our club has been known for its annual one-day spring training with many of the elements described above; however, with a late-March club bareboat trip to sail in the Grenadines (with many club members participating), our education committee has instead organized several training days in February, March, and April: Experienced Sailor Day, Skipper Day, a Rafting Seminar, Flare and Safety Day, and the above-described Welcome Aboard Day.

Most of these events listed are for SOS club members, but the Welcome Aboard event is open to all and is an opportunity to refresh your boating knowledge, meet members of SOS, and check out our club. To register, go to singlesonsailboats.org and look for the “Welcome Aboard” link. The cost is $35 and includes lunch and a raffle ticket for a free daysail. In our newsletters you can see photos of prior events, scroll through upcoming events in the ‘Fleet Exercises’ section, and find our summer cruising schedule in the March newsletter.

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Finally, It’s Time To Pull Out the Spring Commissioning Checklist

By Andy and Mary Ann Campbell

Like many sailors we are finally able to get out to work on our boat without wearing five layers and a parka, which is simply marvelous but slightly stressful. We have a lot of work to do before we splash, and it can be difficult to prioritize all the tasks we must complete!

Hunter Sailing Association Station 1 (HSA1) members recently had the opportunity to get together to discuss our preparations for splash day and a whole lot more when we held our annual winter luncheon at Pirates Cove Restaurant and Dock Bar on Saturday February 28. It was great to see old and new friends emerge from their winter hibernation. After a fantastic lunch our fleet captain, Tom Fox, presented information on the raftups and activities we have planned.

Individually many of us also talked about all the work we had yet to complete on our boats. Most of us who have been doing this for a while have spring commissioning checklists to help prioritize the

work. I won’t say I would be lost without mine, but I might be stopping to ask directions, if you know what I mean.

Checklists help beyond just being an itemized list. Ours is customized for our boat, and the order is specific; it flows to make work quicker, more efficient, and prevents duplication of effort and waste of consumables like antifreeze. Our checklist covers major systems but also the little things that can cause problems later like batteries in all the various small electronics

on the boat. Last year I left the batteries in my dinghy lights; they leaked and ruined both, so that got added to the checklist. Like most things, it’s a process.

If you don’t have a checklist for your boat, start with your boat manual. It may contain a pretty good checklist for items specific to your boat. The next place to look is reputable boating organizations. Over time you will figure out the workflow that works best for you and your boat.

Learn more about HSA1 at hsa1.org

Building a Model Sailboat as a Teaching Tool

By Julie Day

When sailing around Corfu a few years ago, Pentagon

Sailing Club (PSC) commodore Darryl Dennis began talking with crew member Ian Sanderson about a sail’s vector of lift. Ian mentioned that he had taught a sail trim class for Singles On Sailboats using its model boat, whereupon Darryl proposed that Ian build a model for PSC classes. The dimensions were to be scaled down from PSC’s 22-foot Catalina Capris.

Ian set to work designing the model on a scale of 31 percent based on a print provided by Catalina, making just a few changes. Since the donated sails had been made for a 14-foot dinghy, the boom and foot of the sail are longer. The sails were cut and sewn by former PSC commodore, Sak Sakoda.

The mast was made from a two-inch PVC pipe, so there was no groove on which to raise and lower the main sail.

Instead, Ian attached a one-quarter inch steel rod to the mast and used ring dings inserted through the sail and around the rod to hoist the sail. The height of the mast is four inches less than an eight-foot ceiling. The mast sits on a three-quarter inch piece of plywood with curved sides shaped like a hull. The model has working halyards, adjustable jib fairleads, a cam cleat for the mainsheet, and an outhaul for the mainsail. It can be spun on its “keel” to adjust sails for the “wind” supplied by a floor fan. The whole model is lightweight and can be easily disassembled for transport.

Ian began sailing in Massachusetts in 1976. After moving to Texas, he raced his J/24 in Fort Worth. In the late 1980s Ian moved to Virginia, bought a 30-foot Hunter, and sailed around the Chesapeake. “I know where the bottom is all over the Bay!”

claims Ian, who now sails a 36-foot Catalina—and still occasionally finds the bottom. His advice to sailors, “If you trim the sails properly, your boat will have optimum performance.” Find PSC at pentagonsailing.org and on Facebook.

Witnessing Strong Leadership

By Carol Hanson

On March 15, America’s Boating Club Wilmington (ABCW) conducted its 86th annual Change of Watch during which it installed a new commander, bridge officers, and executive committee members.

The celebration, and a delicious brunch at Wilmington’s Country House, started with noting the club’s sincere appreciation for the incumbent leadership team. The installation of new officers was facilitated by America’s Boating Club executive director and its MidAtlantic regional executive committee member. The event concluded with a unanimous outlook for more learning, camaraderie, and fun during next year’s club activities!

ABCW is a member of the national America’s Boating Club organization, formerly known as the United States Power Squadrons. As such, our members join more than 20,000 members nationwide in more than 300 local squadron/ clubs across the country. Members of Wilmington’s club, which hosts 90 members with 38 sailboats and powerboats, enjoy educational and monthly social activities including weekend raftups and well-planned weeklong Chesapeake Bay cruises.

To learn more about the educational and social opportunities provided by ABCW, visit us at abc-wilmington.com or contact us at wspsboaters@gmail.com

Spring Tune-Up Season Is Here!

We burned our socks last month and are now busily sanding, scrubbing, painting, doing deck checks, and tuning our rigs. Next, we splash! May it all go swiftly and smoothly for sailors as we ready our race boats for April’s early season competition. Before the first big regatta, the Helly Hanson Sailing World Regatta Series Annapolis May 1-3, there will be plenty of opportunities to warm up on the racecourse and get

the kinks out. See Quantum Sail’s Scott Nixon’s “Racer’s Edge” column for some ideas for you and your crew (page 94).

Southern Bay sailors tend to start early as the water warms up early down there, and Norfolk and Hampton racers are itching to get back on the racecourse. Hampton Yacht Club (HYC) racers kick off the season with their Wednesday Night Series starting April 1. Broad Bay Sailing Association’s Little Creek and Willoughby

Racers’ weeknight races start April 8 and 9. Soon thereafter, on April 21, the Baltimore City Yacht Association launches its Tuesday Night Series. Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) Wednesday Night racers sail to the start line April 22.

On weekends, a number of spring tune-up regattas will take place this month. Starting with the Southern Bay, HYC will host a Tune-Up Race (April 12), and CCV Racing will begin its spring series (April 19).

At print time, the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association (CBYRA) had not yet finalized its Green Book schedule, so consider the following dates “tentative,” and confirm with the club websites on the following: Southern Maryland Sailing Association Spring Invitational (April 12), Magothy River Sailing Association Spring Fling (April 25), AYC Spring One Design Regatta (April 25), and the Navy Sailing Race to the Lighthouses (April 25).

Severn Sailing Association starts its busy season with the Solings Spring Bowl (April 18) and ILCA Sunshine Open (April 2426) and hosts regattas nearly every weekend through fall.

Once CBYRA finalizes the big-boat schedule, we will add the remainder of the regattas to the SpinSheet Calendar (page 26 and at spinsheet.com). If you’d like to see your club’s regattas mentioned in SpinSheet or in our racing results email (starting in May), email molly@spinsheet. com. If you’d like to be on our email list for Monday racing results, sign up for our email newsletter at spinsheet.com and update your preferences by checking “weekly racing results.” Sail fast and have fun!

Annapolis Sailors Enjoy Perfect Miami Conditions

At the 2026 Bacardi Invitational Regatta, 177 boats from 23 countries battled on Biscayne Bay in Miami, FL, March 1-7 before champions were finally decided on Saturday afternoon. After 45 years of chasing one of sailing’s most storied trophies, Paul Cayard finally won the Bacardi Cup. Alongside Frithjof Kleen, after winning the 2025 Star World Championship, the two put the cherry on top of their legendary year.

Part of the larger celebration surrounding the 99th Bacardi Cup, the Bacardi Invitational Regatta once again brought together top sailors in the J/70, Melges 24, Snipe, and VX One classes racing alongside the Star Class. In the end, Cuyler Morris (Melges 24), John Heaton (J/70), Ernesto Rodriguez (Snipe), and Chris Alexander (VX One) emerged as fleet winners after tight regattas that remained undecided until the final race.

The Chesapeake contingent on the racecourse included Severn Sailing Association (SSA) Snipe sailors Alex and Lisa Pline on Old Folks Boogie and Gavin and Holly O’Hare on Finale. Both couples finished in the top 10 with the Plines in

sixth and O’Hares in ninth. Daughter Lexi Pline (now of Newport, RI) crewed for Ivan Shestopalov; the team finished third.

Alex Pline says, “While it was not a huge fleet of Snipes at 18 (many Snipe sailors sail other classes in the event), it was tough as usual with locals Rodrigues, Quintero, and Shestopalov who are always on top at international regattas. We had three days of sailing and eight races in perfect 12- to 18-knot Biscayne Bay conditions.”

These are the sailing conditions Miami is famous for: consistent easterly breeze in the mid-teens, warm sunshine, and steady seas created what many competitors described as near-perfect racing.

Pline describes it as a “high production event.” He says, “What’s so much fun about this event is you get to see a much larger cross section of sailors, not just those in your class. We all have friends that sail in these other classes, and it’s fun to mix it up. The event is run out of Shake-A-Leg (the old Coast Guard hangar in Coconut Grove), but boats are all distributed between the local clubs: US Sailing Center, Coral Reef YC, Biscayne Bay YC, and Coconut Grove Sailing Club. The company

that runs the event (Twelve USA) obviously with large sponsorship from Bacardi and others, hosts a nightly social gathering with open bar and two food nights at Shake-ALeg, very much like the tent at the old Key West Race Week, except for these limited one designs.”

Holly O’Hare says, “We had a great time catching up with so many Snipe and other old friends from every fleet. We even had our daughter Ryann join us on her spring break. In these mid to upper breeze conditions, which are not our specialty, we learned how best to tune by Quantum’s Carter Cameron, who got us to the top of the fleet by the last race. Conditions could not have been better with 80-degree temps and 70-degree water. The VXOne kept our heads out of the boat for sure as they flew through our shared course. The race committee was fantastic in managing the two fleets… It’s one of our favorite regattas for the great sailing conditions and sailing reunions.”

Among the other Chesapeake sailors on the scene were J/70 sailors Paul Green on Progress and Jib Edwards on Wicked Learn more at bacardiinvitational.com.

April Blooms at Charleston Race Week

At print time 140 teams had registered for Charleston Race Week at Patriot Point (CRW) for the 30th anniversary edition of this “regatta unlike any other,” April 16-19.

Chesapeake competitors include Jeff Todd on Hot Toddy in the J/22 fleet; Jonathan Pollack on Monkey Business, Mark Shortz on Rattle n’ Rum; and Ian Hill on Sitella in the ORC Sport Boat division; Krissy Robinson on Velvet Hammer in the J/105 class; Carter Miller on Jocko Flocko in the Melges 24; Jason and Donna Aulds on Celerity, Nic Breen Franklin on Foreign Affairs, Pete Firey on Phoenix, and Jib Edwards on Wicked in the J/70 division.

Competitors racing on Circle 2 (J/70s, Melges 24s, and VX One fleets) will once again operate under the Vakaros RaceSense System, providing automated starting accuracy and enhanced race management across the course. Circle 2 race management is offering an early check-in option via a WhatsApp group, allowing teams to verify their devices ahead of time.

If you’re not sailing this year but still want to be part of the action, volunteering is a rewarding way to get involved. Shoreside volunteers play an essential role assisting with registration and check-in, helping as information guides and greeters, supporting entrance gates, punching passes, distributing race committee lunches, and assisting with daily operations. CRW offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities, making it easy to find a role that fits your interests and availability.

As competitors, volunteers, or shore support planning to enjoy the full, three-day shoreside experience, you’ll need a Shoreside Event Pass, which provides access to regatta headquarters aboard the USS Yorktown and all post-race village activities beginning on April 16 through April 19. (Two passes are included with your registration; purchase additional ones online).

For more details, visit charlestonraceweek.com

Benefitting

Pivotal Moments for Spite Sailing and PGN Ocean Racing

Spite Sailing and PGN Ocean Racing announce a collaborative transition in the American offshore racing community. Marianna Fleischman and Emma Rosenbaum, cofounders of Spite Sailing, have officially taken over as skippers of the Classe Mini RG650 (Hull #837). The vessel is the same high-performance racing yacht that Peter Gibbons-Neff Jr. of PGN Ocean Racing famously piloted across the Atlantic in the 2023 Mini Transat.

This transition marks a pivotal moment for both campaigns. As #837 moves to its new home with Spite Sailing in the Chesapeake Bay, Peter Gibbons-Neff relocated to France to begin the next chapter of his professional career: a two-year mission to win the 2027 Mini Transat. In France, Peter will oversee the construction of a brand-new, top-of-the-line Mini Prototype designed by Sam Manuard and built by JPS Production.

“Passing the tiller of #837 to Marianna and Emma feels like the perfect next step for this boat’s legacy,” said GibbonsNeff. “Spite Sailing’s mission to increase accessibility and representation in offshore racing is vital for our sport. While I am focused on the cutting-edge technology and intense competition of the Prototype class in France, I am thrilled to see this boat continue to inspire sailors back home in Maryland.”

For Spite Sailing, the acquisition of #837 is the catalyst for an ambitious multi-year campaign. Fleischman and Rosenbaum intend to use the platform to champion women’s sailing in the Chesapeake Bay and beyond, serving as both an inspiration and a tangible platform for other female sailors to break into the male-dominated world of shorthanded offshore racing.

“Our mission is to prove that offshore racing is for everyone, in spite of the barriers that have traditionally kept women off the starting line,” said Fleischman. “Taking over a boat with the pedigree of #837 allows us to fast-track our

development. We are focused on the 2027 Bermuda 1-2 race and are committed to involving women in every aspect of this campaign, from maintenance and shore support to media and racing.”

The Spite Sailing team will be based out of Baltimore, bringing the Mini culture to the Mid-Atlantic. Fans can expect behind-the-scenes content, live-streaming, and community engagement as the team prepares for the rigorous Bermuda 1-2.

Meanwhile, PGN Ocean Racing’s move to France signals a heightened level of American participation in the European offshore circuit. Gibbons-Neff’s new campaign continues his commitment to supporting veterans through U.S. Patriot Sailing while pushing the limits of yacht design and solo performance.

For more information on the upcoming campaigns, visit: spitesailing.com and pgnoceanracing.com

Kicking Off the Season at the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta

Did you know that May Day marks the halfway point between the spring equinox and summer solstice? What a perfect day to start a big regatta! For many local racers, the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series (HHSW) Annapolis marks the beginning of racing season on the Chesapeake Bay. As well as expecting more than 200 teams to converge upon host club Annapolis Yacht Club May 1-3, racing sailors should expect the full spectrum of spring weather from rain and fog to abundant sunshine.

Invited one-design classes include: 29er (National Championship), Alberg 30, Beneteau 36.7, Etchells, Harbor 20, Sonar, J/22, J/24, J/30, J/70, J/80, J/88, J/105, J/111, Lightning, Melges 15, Melges 24, Snipe, Viper 640, VX One, and Waszp. Handicap classes and Cal 25s are welcome for the Saturday and Sunday distance racing.

In addition to on-water action, competitors may attend daily weather briefings by Quantum Sails, daily socials and awards programs starting at 5 p.m. (4 p.m. Sunday), and a chance to shop at the Helly Hanson and Team One Newport store.

SpinSheet’s Will Keyworth will take photos on the racecourse; SpinSheet staffers will be at the shoreside events for our best grip-and-grin party shots. See you there! Learn more at sailingworld.com/ regatta-series-annapolis.

The Joys of Sailing Penguins

By Gary Jobson

The

famous

naval architect, Phillip Rhodes, did the sailing community a favor when he designed the International Penguin Dinghy Class in 1938 at the invitation of a group of sailors from Virginia. The boat was 11 feet and five inches long and weighed 130 pounds. Rhodes’s vision was that people could easily build their own boats. In 1941 a total of 35 Penguins raced in a regatta off Annapolis. Soon after World War II the Penguin Class grew dramatically. The relatively inexpensive boat was perfect for couples, young people, and long-time veteran sailors. It was a boat that happily connected the generations.

Among the top sailors of the era, Runyon Colie, Jr. of Mantoloking, NJ, was a standout. He won the Intercollegiate Dinghy Championships for MIT three times before winning the Penguin International Championship seven times. His boat is on display at The Sailing Museum in Newport, RI.

My introduction to the Penguin was in the late 1950s on Barnegat Bay, NJ. At the age of 12, I was given a Penguin with sail number 6075. I wasn’t very good at sailing. One afternoon following a day on the water, I was cleaning my

boat when a family came over to check it out. I enthusiastically explained the parts of the boat and how cool it was to sail. The family was inspired and soon got their own Penguin. It was at that moment that I decided sailing was going to be my sport. In 1964 I got a new Penguin (sail number 7025), and in 1968 another new boat (sail number 8629). I spent many hours practicing and racing my Penguins between 1962 and 1969. My scores improved, and I eventually won the Barnegat Bay Senior Penguin Championship after my senior year in high school. To this day it is one of my most prized trophies.

I took my sailing seriously and learned by crewing for others. I got to travel to many winter regattas throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Maryland. I had a steep learning curve, but eventually my skill level improved. To do well in a Penguin you had to be good at boat handling, or you might capsize. The boat was a joy to tack and gybe to take advantage of wind shifts, and most importantly for me, I learned about racing tactics. The lessons from my Penguin days served me well during my long career on the water.

A few years ago, I was at a dinner at the Yacht Club Argentina in Buenos Aires. The person sitting next to me was about my age. We compared notes about our sailing lives. Happily, his English was good compared to my halting Spanish. At one point he told me that he had traveled to the USA in 1966 for the Penguin Internationals at Little Egg Harbor, NJ. I had also raced in the regatta. Some 50-plus years later here we were talking about racing Penguins.

I kept notebooks filled with my lessons, competitors, and results (both good and bad). My information became the basis for my America’s Cup racing, offshore racing, and lots of one-design regattas. I owe the Penguin a lot for helping me get better at sailing. At one point there were more than 9000 of these nifty dinghies racing around the world. In today’s high-tech universe, the lessons of racing a Penguin would still be valuable.

• Fun pursuit-style race with the option of sailing clockwise or counter-clockwise.

• Pursuit race awards for PHRF Spin & Non-Spin & any one-design class with 5 or more entries by May 13 • Award for top boat with junior sailors onboard • River course for Harbor 20s & Melges 15s

Vans & Stepping Out Shirts Party at Horn Point

• Cake & beer! • Awards for the best stepping out shirts

Fundraising to Help an Excellent Cause

• Award for top fundraising team/boat • Red Vans for top fundraising individual

THANK YOU

Sailing Club of the Chesapeake

Small Boat Scene Shaking off the Rust To Start the Season

By Kim Couranz

It’s just about time to hit the first starting line of the 2026 season. For most Chesapeake dinghy sailors— barring any handful of frostbite or southern circuit sailing—it has been a handful of months since your last race. Getting back on the water is exciting and invigorating, so it’s easy to dive back in. But for the most rewarding experience, take a step back to ensure you are mentally and physically ready to roll and that your boat is, too.

Winter can be tough on fitness. It gets dark early, the holidays bring lots of fun time commitments, and January and February can be a mental grind to get through the dark ages, until the only real effort you’ve put in is carrying groceries

from the car to the kitchen. Even if you have been focusing on fitness this winter, realize that dinghy sailing likely highlights skills and muscles you may not have prioritized in your sessions.

Putting an extra focus on your core and your hiking strength over the next few weeks can make your return to racing a lot more comfortable. (Well, hiking may never be comfortable… but it can be fun!) Highlight your abs and back to prepare for hiking and trimming by doing planks, Russian twists, and supermans. Be sure to gradually ramp up your efforts, and take care of yourself if anything feels bad.

I was lucky to sail the Snipe Midwinters in Key Largo, FL, which is a gorgeous beach launch venue. The first day of

# Even if you have focused on fitness this winter, small boat sailing likely highlights skills and muscles you may not have prioritized. Photos by Ted Morgan

the event the wind piped up at the end of the day, and we ended up retrieving boats on a windward shore, with waves and 15 to 20 knots of breeze. It was a challenge to hold the boats in waistdeep water to enable skippers to get the rudders out before pulling the boats up the beach on dollies. My skipper and I got back to the beach and out of the water as one of the first few boats, without too much chaos, with the help of a strong fellow competitor to help us roll our dolly out of the water. As the bulk of the fleet came in, some teams needed a few extra hands, so I went back and helped folks hold their boats while dollies arrived to pull them out of the water.

I think I pulled one boat too many up the beach: Later that afternoon, my back seized up tighter than a banjo string. Thanks to a friend’s heating pad (she travels to regattas with it—how smart is that?!), a lot of stretching, and a good warmup, sailing the next day was possible (though not super comfortable). A few more days of rest, followed by an awesome (but painful) deep tissue massage session, meant that I was good to start rebuilding with core exercises. Take your time—don’t throw everything at your body all at once. Slowly but consistently building strength means it will be there to support you for the entire season.

I’m one of the crazy ones who really enjoys hiking. Hiking requires core, but also hip and leg strength. Add lunges, squats, and wall sits to boost your hiking routine. Wall sits are a great exercise, and you can use them to multitask: While you’re doing wall sits, you can perform visualization exercises, picturing yourself hitting the start line with great speed right as the gun goes off, or having a super weather mark rounding.

Strength is important, but don’t forget cardio and flexibility. Here on the Chesapeake, we get perhaps more than our fair share of light air. Working on mobility and balance through stretching and yoga-like adventures can help you with the flexibility that’s important while you’re racing and to help you recover. And dinghy races are cardio adventures, so add in activities such as running, cycling, rowing, and swimming to raise your heart rate and build your aerobic capacity. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be especially good, as we all know that dinghy races demand bursts of energy.

Getting your mind back in the game is just as important. At the top of the fleet, it’s often how nimbly you make good decisions that determines success. In addition to those positive visualizations while you’re doing wall sits (!), be sure to review the Racing Rules of Sailing to ensure your interactions with other boats on the racecourse are positive and well-informed.

Importantly, give yourself some grace when it comes to your first days

back on the water, especially with your first time back racing. It’s easy to build up rust over the off season but harder to shake it off. Trust in the process and know it will come back if you focus on steadily improving your physical and

mental game rather than getting frustrated that you’re on 100 percent right off the bat. Lucky for us, even if we’re not the fastest and/or smartest sailor on any given race day, it’s still fantastic to be out sailboat racing.

To qualify, you must acquire 25 points by the end of the year by participating in any of the following:

• Series (fall, weekinight, frostbite) - 5 points

• Charity regatta/race - 5 points

• Volunteer day - 4 points

• Race committee day - 4 points

• Multi-day regattas - 3 points

• Distance or point-to-point race - 3 points

• Attend a racing or rules seminar or class - 3 points

• Single-day regatta - 2 points

• Take a new sailor racing - 2 points

• Donate $50 or more to a sailing charity - 1 point

Preparation and Spring Sailing Drills for a Head Start to the Season

By Scott Nixon of Quantum Sails

It’s been a brutal winter on the Chesapeake, but spring is finally starting to show itself. Visions of crossing the finish line first—just ahead of a pursuing pack—are returning. Spring is the most important training window of the year. Teams that use this period deliberately to sharpen fundamentals enter the season faster, more coordinated, and tactically sharper than crews still figuring things out on race day. A focused program should combine equipment prep, structured on-the-water drills, and repeatable performance benchmarks.

1. Start With the Boat and Sail Program

Before hitting the water, make sure your platform is race-ready. Many earlyseason performance problems stem from overlooked basics. Priority checks:

• Bottom and foils clean and fair.

• Sail inventory inspected and updated for both training and racing.

• Rig tune aligned with sailmaker settings.

• Electronics updated, working, and calibrated.

• Standing rigging inspected and safe.

• Running rigging marked for repeatable settings.

• Unnecessary gear removed for minimum weight.

2. Fine-Tune Communication Habits

Most on-the-water issues stem from poor communication, no communication, or bad timing. By season’s end, good teams operate seamlessly, but that only happens if expectations are defined early:

• Everyone knows their role and responsibilities.

• Nonessential chatter waits until after racing.

• Clear calls for time-and-distance at starts.

• Assigned voices for puffs, lulls, and waves.

• One person tracking performance targets (speed, heel, angles).

• Crew weight coordinated fore/aft and side-to-side.

• Constant updates on relative performance vs. nearby boats.

• The best teams speak less, move efficiently, and execute without hesitation.

3. Essential Spring Drills Acceleration Drill

Slow the boat to two to three knots, and accelerate to full speed. Time the interval. This forces the entire crew into the speed loop and builds muscle memory for trim, steering, and weight movement. Once at speed, stop the boat as quickly as possible using the rudder, backed sails, and coordinated trim. This drill develops boat control and improves pre-start responsiveness.

Hot Laps

Set a short windward-leeward course just long enough for four tacks and several gybes. This creates a hightempo environment with mark roundings, sets, takedowns, and transitions happening quickly. Continue until maneuvers become crisp. The goal is consistent execution and polishing the small details that gain boat lengths. Teams that run hot laps regularly see dramatically fewer handling mistakes on race day.

Practice Starts

Starts are one of the most important parts of a race, yet many crews spend the least time training them. Those that invest here gain clear lanes and control early.

Set a line using marks or fixed objects. Run repeated timed sequences, and aim to cross at full speed, on target

angle, within a few seconds of the gun. Rotate approaches from the pin, middle, and boat ends. If you use start software, these reps accelerate learning and team familiarity. Over time, crews develop an instinct for time-distance judgment and burn rate.

Top championship teams often run one or two practice starts before every race. This sharpens awareness of daily variables such as current, waves, wind strength, and line bias.

Final Thoughts

Spring training isn’t about knocking rust off—it’s about building performance systems. Crews that approach these early sessions with structure and intent will launch into the season sharp, confident, and fast while others are still warming up. If you want to be ahead at the first weather mark this spring, preparation doesn’t start on race day. It starts the first day your boat hits the water.

Southern Bay native Scott Nixon was an All-American sailor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and later coached at the College of Charleston. He has a wide range of racing experiences in dinghies, one-design keelboats, and inshore and offshore boats. Scott joined Quantum in 2000 and has competed with customers to win championships at the world, Gold Cup, European, North American, and national levels. He is currently Quantum’s one-design director, based in the Eastport loft. Expect more of his racing tips in future issues of SpinSheet. Send questions to snixon@quantumsails.com

BROKERAGE & CLASSIFIED SECTIONS

Crusader Yacht Sales   is a full-service sail and power brokerage located in Bert Jabin Yacht Yard. We proudly represent Tartan Yachts, Jeanneau Sailboats, and Excess Catamarans. Our experienced team of professional yacht brokers, along with our in-house closing, service, and parts departments, supports 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. S&J Yachts 410.639.2777, info@sjyachts.com, www.sjyachts.com

Veteran Yacht Sales Headquartered in Annapolis, Veteran Yacht Sales serves clients throughout the East Coast and beyond, connecting discerning buyers with exceptional yachts. Our seasoned professionals, rooted in military and first-responder communities, ensure every transaction is transparent, trustworthy, and tailored to your needs. Whether buying or selling, rely on our comprehensive marketing program, drone photography, ongoing market analysis, and meticulous attention to detail. Experience Mission-Driven Yachting. Call today: 443.512.2960,  info@veteranyachtsales.com ,  www.veteranyachtsales.com

YachtView.com  wants to be your concierge Annapolis brokerage to sell your power or sailing yacht. We offer complimentary, 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  Yachtr.com for excellent MLS exposure. 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 yacht broker since 1988, call/text: 443.223.7864,  John@YachtView.com,  www.YachtView.com

Shared Sailboats Available Join one of the longest running sailing clubs in the region! Mid-Atlantic Sailing Association shares an O’Day 322 on the Bay and a Catalina 27 on the Potomac. Only a few slots available! Inquire at  www.masasailing.org or call Karl at 301.467.9987.

equipped. Annual dues $950/year. Daily rate $100/day. Contact: 434.808.3512 or garudabuss@gmail.com

DINGHIES

1966 9’ Dyer Dhow Sailing Dinghy –Refurbished!  Must see to appreciate! Includes original sail, sail and gear bag, boom, rigging, centerboard, rudder, brass oar locks, spruce oars and sunbrella boat cover. 2.5Hp Lehr propane outboard engine w/ stand available. DNR Registered. Boat: $1,400/OBO - Engine: $700  Contact: 703.966.8306 or jwdoxey@verizon.net

POWER

2003 Wesmac 38  Custom finished lobster style cruiser. Volvo 473 HP. Diesel. Original owner/yard maintained. Inside storage. Asking: $300,000 Contact Bruce: 860.235.5035 Photos/more info, visit:  www.tinyurl.com/Wesmac38

SAIL

1981 Crosby 22’ Catboat  Optional bowsprit and furling headsail. New head, sink, galley pump. Inboard diesel. Clean, many extras. $7,500 Potomac River. 704.425.4108

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. $5,000 Contact: 267.566.5851

26’ Westerly Griffon Sloop 1984  Excellent Condition + Extensive Equipment List. 9’3” beam, 4’9” single keel draft. 20Hp Beta diesel. Mack Sails: main, pack system, roller furling Genoa, spinnaker/sock. Raymarine C120 electronics package. Full galley + head. Windlass/chain/rope. Pressurized hot/ cold water, 6-gal water heater. AC/DC electric. Asking $17,000/OBO –Floating dock slip, Bowley’s Marina $11,200 – 9’ CNC nesting dinghy (partially finished) $750 –Contact: duncmcelf@gmail.com or 443.904.0447

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

(Nelly) 1980 Sabre 34 Keel/ Centerboard  Sleeps 5, Edison Wheel Steering, Lewmar Two-Speed Tailing Winches, Cabin Heater, Newer Batteries, Yanmar 24HP Diesel (~1670 hrs.), 110% Jib, 130% Genoa, Mainsail.  $15,900  Located: Worton Creek Marina. Contact:  surftuf@aol.com or 610.299.3598. More info/pics:  www.tinyurl.com/Nelly34

2022 Saffier 33 SE LIFE

2022 Excess 12

Brokerage & Classified

(Gendarme) 1973 Pearson 35  Shoal draft sloop w/ centerboard. Upgrades:  2017 – Universal Diesel 25 XPB, new mast/boom, standing/running rigging.  2020 – Solar D/C refrigeration.  2023 –New prop/shaft.  $15,000/OBO  Contact Cabot: 410.708.1027 or lodge2@verizon.net

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. Survey 2023. $35,000 Contact: 443.223.9365

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

2022 Tartan 245 24’  Like-new Tartan Caraluna 245. Freshwater-kept, modern, trailerable performance daysailer w/ carbon rig, Torqeedo, brand new Triad trailer. Available in Annapolis. Shows like new and available now! $58,500  Call Matt 410.212.2628 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

2022 Saffier 33 LIFE  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  $329,000 over 500k to replace! Call Mike Titgemeyer 410.703.7986 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 $95,000  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 $399,000  Call Denise Hanna 410.991.8236 or  www.CrusaderYachts.com

2005 Pacific Seacraft 40 40’  AC; boom-furling, cover, varnished teak; Many upgrades; Recent: sails, rigging, electronics, blue ‘awlgrip.”  Reduced $2955,000  Call Rod Rowan 410.593.7531 or  www.CrusaderYachts.com

2022 Excess 12 40’  “Artemis” is fully equipped for coastal cruising. Highlights include - Genset, Air Con, Dinghy, Code Zero and More! Lightly used on Chesapeake Bay only.

Asking $475,000  Call Denise Hanna 410.991.8236 or  www.CrusaderYachts.com

To find more used boats, visit spinsheet.com

2023 Excess 12 40’  “Sea Señora” – Bought new, used once, one trip.  Low hours, loaded from the factory.  Amazing opportunity to grab a like-new boat for $$$$ less than new! Asking $599,000  Call Dave Townley 410.271.5225 or  www.CrusaderYachts.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

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

2005 Beneteau 473 47’ “Sanctuary” is a 2 cabin, 2 head w/ extra storage. Professionally maintained and consistently upgraded, she is ICW friendly, and set up for off-grid living. Asking $174,900 Call Matt Weimer 410.212.2628 or  www.CrusaderYachts.com

- IN STOCK - SAVE $109,000

60 Beneteau Oceanis 60 2016 $599,000

49 Beneteau 49 2007 $219,000

49 Hunter 49 2007 $235,000

48 Beneteau Oceanis 48 2014 $289,000

48 Island Packet 485 ‘05, ‘07 2 from $398,000

46 Bavaria Vision 46 2012 $259,999

45 Allures 45.9 2011 $430,000

45 Hunter 45CC 2007

45 Jeanneau 45.2 1998

$160,000

$120,000

44 Catalina 445 2011 $264,000

44 Island Packet 440 2006 $329,000

44 Island Packet 445 2005 $359,000

43 Broadblue 435 2010 $349,000

43 Saga 43 1998 $169,000

43 Slocum 43 1984 $190,000

42 Bavaria C42 2023 $399,500

42 Bavaria Ocean 42 1999 $105,000

42 Catalina 425 2019 $325,000

42 Southerly 420 2024 $649,000

42 Tayana Vancouver 42 1986 $124,900

42 Trintella 42 1984 $110,000

41 Island Packet SP Cruiser 2008 $249,000

41 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 2013 $189,000

40 Hinckley Bermuda 40 1972 $128,000

40 Hunter 410 1998 $120,000

40 Island Packet 40 ‘95, ‘97 4 from $135,000

40 Nauticat 40 1986 $129,900

40 Sabre 402 2003 $181,000

38 Caliber 38 1990

38 Catalina 380 2001 $90,000 38 Fountaine Pajot Athena 38 1995 $145,000 38 Island Packet 38 ‘87, ‘88 2 from $99,900

38 Island Packet 380 1999 $169,000 38 Lagoon 380S 2005

37 Island Packet 37 1997

37 Southerly 115 MK IV 2006 $132,000

Catalina 350 ‘05, ‘07 2 from $105,000 35 Hake / Seaward 32RK 2005 $79,500

Island Packet 35 1989 $99,900 35 Island Packet 350 ‘00, ‘03 2 from $115,000 35 Tartan 3500 2002 $99,500 34 Island Packet 349 2019 $299,900

Gozzard 31 ‘90, ‘91 2 from $69,000

Sam L. Morse Bristol Channel Cutter 1985 $85,000

Brokerage & Classified

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

(Cool Breeze) 37’ Beneteau 373 ‘07  $99,500 Curtis Stokes 410.919.4900  curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

(Red Sky) 37’ Hunter ‘98  $64,500 Curtis Stokes 410.919.4900  curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

(Shari) 40’ Freedom ‘95 $119,500 Curtis Stokes 410.919.4900  curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

(Siddhartha) 41’ Hunter H41 Deck Salon ‘08 $137,500 Curtis Stokes 410.919.4900  curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

(Snowmane) 50’ Beneteau Oceanis

Leave 10% Brokerage Fees in Your Wake Jay Porterfield • Knot 10 Sail (410) 977-9460 • jay@knot10.com

409 Chester Avenue, Suite A Annapolis, MD 21403 1.855.266.5676 | info@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

(Talisman) 34’ Catalina ‘88 $22,500 Curtis Stokes 410.919.4900  curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

(Skye) 35’ Bristol ‘86 $85,000 Curtis Stokes 410.919.4900  curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

SpinSheet.com

(Little Wing) 38’ Beneteau ‘98  $62,500 Curtis Stokes 410.919.4900  curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

(Aurora) 40’ Nauticat ‘85 $145,000 Curtis Stokes 410.919.4900  curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

(Antilles Passage) 43’ Beneteau Oceanis ‘10 $124,500 Curtis Stokes 410.919.4900  curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

(Wind Kist) 43’ Hunter ‘91 $67,900 Jack Kelly 609.517.2822  jack@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

(Blue) 46’ Beneteau ‘97  $125,000 Curtis Stokes 410.919.4900  curtis@curtisstokes.net www.curtisstokes.net

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

Hunter 44 Deck Salons  TWO available – 2005 & 2006. Call for details.  Knot 10 Yacht Sales – Jay 410.977.9460 or  Jay@Knot10.com www.Knot10.com

2009 Hunter 50 CC  Extremely wellmaintained, comfortable cruiser.  $284,000 Knot 10 Yacht Sales – Call Jay 410.977.9460 or  Jay@Knot10.com www.Knot10.com

38’ Lagoon 380S 2005 NEW LISTING! S2 catamaran—owner’s layout, Yanmar diesels, generator, A/C, solar, watermaker, spacious salon and cabins. Safe, comfortable family cruiser. Ready for fun adventures! $215,000  S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777,  www.sjyachts.com

For classified ads, email beatrice@spinsheet.com, call 410.216.9309, or list your boat online at: spinsheet.com/spinsheet-buysell

41’ Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 2013  Lightly used, thoughtfully equipped, & cared for. Offers the perfect balance of performance sailing & comfortable cruising—ideal for couples, families, or anyone ready to enjoy coastal or offshore adventures.  $189,000  S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777,  www.sjyachts.com

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’ 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!

$649,000  S&J Yachts, 843.872.8080,  www.sjyachts.com

42’ Trintella 42 1984  Legendary Van de Stadt design. Built by the renowned Dutch Trintella Shipyard to very high standards w/ old world craftsmanship. Powerful world cruising yacht. Striking lines and beautiful interior. New Listing. $110,000  S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777,  www.sjyachts.com

43’ Broadblue 435 2010  Oceancertified 43’ catamaran, ideal for bluewater cruising. Features twin 40Hp diesels, cutter rig, 776 sq. ft. sail area for impressive light-wind performance. Spacious, well-built w/ watertight bulkheads and EU Category A certification. Rare U.S. opportunity. $349,000  S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777,  www.sjyachts.com

43’ Slocum 43 1984  Just Listed! Trouvaille offers dependable systems, generator, solar, quality joinery, excellent storage, and proven cruising capability—an elegant, well-built Slocum 43 ready for serious passage making. $190,000  S&J Yachts, 410.639.2777, 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!  $264,000  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

48’ Island Packet 485 2007   Exceptional bluewater cruiser w/ extensive recent upgrades; new electronics, rigging, sails, and cruising gear. 3 cabins/2 head, robust systems, and meticulous care. Turnkey and ready for world voyaging. $429,000  S&J Yachts, 843.872.8080,  www.sjyachts.com

49’ Beneteau 49 2007  Just Listed! Always loved, never chartered. 2 cabin layout, 5’9” shoal draft. Generator, bow thruster, electric winches, full enclosure, dinghy & outboard, clean & ready to go! $219,000  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

2000 Island Packet 420 Well-equipped w/ davits and clean - no visible cracks in gelcoat and solid wood interior. ICW friendly w/ shoal draft and ready to sail offshore. Now $284,900  Contact Rick: 443.294.5161,  rstcyr@veteranyachtsales.com ,  www.veteranyachtsales.com

2023 Catalina 425  Cruise-ready w/ extensive factory options and offshore safety upgrades. Features solar arch, watermaker, Starlink-ready, generator, A/C, and more. Now $405,000   Contact Shawn: 843.284.3373,  swaggoner @veteranyachtsales.com ,  www.veteranyachtsales.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

HELP WANTED

Get Paid to Sail! Now Hiring Captain & Crew  **RARE full-time captain position!** Live in Annapolis all year round, sail on two beautiful 74-ft schooners all season and keep them maintained in the wintertime. 50-ton, INLAND license. **Crew/Deckhands** Looking to staff up with 4 or 5 fantastic crew. Starting date can range from early March through late April. Working through October is preferred. (Winter work opportunities exist.) More info here:  www.schoonerwoodwind.com/employment

Head instructor for Magothy River Sailing Association (MRSA) Junior Sailing Program, July 1317 and July 20-24. Must have prior experience working with children and a US Sailing Small Boat Level 1 certification. Contact: 410.598.9815 or  juniorsailing@magothysailing.org

Seasonal WATERFRONT Jobs – Dock Hands and Ticket Sales/Customer Service Full-Time & Part-Time positions available, April–October. Dock Hands earn hourly pay plus tips $$ tying up boats at a lively Annapolis dock bar. Office role handles ticket sales and provides customer service for Schooner Woodwind guests. Boating and customer service experience a plus. For more info or to apply, visit: www.schoonerwoodwind.com/employment

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

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

Deep Water Slips Available – Darwin’s Boatyard  Mill Creek, Annapolis. Protected cove with easy Bay access. For information, call 443.921.7237 or email pdarwin@verizon.net

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

Appointed

Partnership

Launched

The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) announced that Dave Broadbent, ABYC senior director of business development, has been appointed SkillsUSA national technical chair for Marine Service Technology. SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization that serves students preparing for careers in skilled trades and technical fields through hands-on training, leadership development, and national competitions. “Having the marine industry represented at the national level helps students see marine service as a rewarding career path and ensures what they learn aligns with the skills employers need,” said Broadbent. He will provide technical leadership for the Marine Service Technology competition at the SkillsUSA championships, the organization’s annual national competition that brings together top students from across the United States to demonstrate their skills. As national technical chair, Broadbent will support the development and review of contest criteria, and collaborate with educators, judges and industry partners to ensure a fair, current and high-quality competition. In addition to its work with SkillsUSA, ABYC supports workforce development through school partnerships, its marine service technology curriculum, the Marine Trades Accreditation Program, industry collaboration, and training and certification programs. abycinc.org

Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) recently announced a multi-year partnership with Boston Whaler as the Official Powerboat of Wednesday Night Racing. Spend one Wednesday evening watching the start of a race and you’ll see numerous Whalers in the spectator fleet, many flying the club’s burgee. At any given time, you’ll see members on their Boston Whalers tying up at AYC’s docks to bring friends and family ashore to enjoy the club’s amenities. Over the years they have been an integral part of AYC’s Junior Program supporting numerous summer program classes and the busy practice schedule for Optis and 420s. In addition to other club assets, AYC’s 19-foot Boston Whalers have joined the race committee for weekend regattas and signature events as well as supporting the Harbor 20 course on Wednesday nights. One of the club’s Whalers has become the workhorse of the dockmaster’s office, including the staff’s support for race committee, summer mooring tender service, and the oyster recovery program. Beginning this spring with the start of the 2026 AYC Wednesday Night Race Series, you’ll see the team from Boston Whaler’s Chesapeake Whalertowne in the starting area in support of AYC’s legacy of yacht racing at the club. annapolisyc.com

Mustang Survival announces the launch of the new men’s waterproof Taku jacket and bib. Designed for saltwater anglers, marine professionals, fishing guides, and cruisers, the updated Taku collection is built for inshore and coastal environments. Made of Mustang Survival’s signature Marine Spec SP 3-layer fabric to withstand saltwater, spray, fish guts, oil, rain, and long days on the water, the Taku jacket and bib deliver durable protection that keeps wearers dry and comfortable in cold, wet conditions year-round. The redesigned Taku kit incorporates functional updates informed by active users. The jacket features improved hood articulation and a refined collar fit for better comfort and visibility in sustained wet weather, along with extended neoprene gaskets and adjustable split over-cuffs to help prevent water ingress without restricting movement. Updates to the bib include handwarmer chest pockets, durable twoway YKK Aquaguard zippers for ease of use and ventilation, and removable knee pads that provide added comfort and protection during long days on the water. mustangsurvival.com

New Places To Pick Up SpinSheet

Let’s give a warm welcome to these new SpinSheet distribution stops!

• Barnes and Noble in Annapolis, MD

• Pusser’s Landing Restaurant in Baltimore, MD

Trailblazers: 50 Years of Women at the U.S. Naval Academy

Historic Annapolis announced the opening of a new exhibit, Trailblazers: 50 Years of Women at the U.S. Naval Academy, at the Museum of Historic Annapolis at 99 Main Street, located just steps from Annapolis City Dock.

In 1976, 81 pioneering women joined more than 1300 men stepping through the U.S. Naval Academy’s (USNA) gates as plebes. Since their graduation in 1980, thousands of women have followed in their footsteps by rising through the ranks and serving our nation with distinction. Presented in the Museum’s Community Gallery in partnership with USNA Women, an alumnae network, this exhibit features the stories of 16 USNA alumnae who defied expectations, challenged conventions, and paved the way for future generations of military leaders.

“This exhibit celebrates the steadfast spirit of the thousands of women who, since 1976, have broken barriers and dedicated their lives to serving our nation as Naval Academy alumnae,” says Karen Theimer Brown, president and CEO of Historic Annapolis.

Dr. Maegen Gandy Nix, USNA Women vice president, says, “The museum exhibit offers a true home away from home during this milestone year and shines a spotlight on generations of trailblazing leaders who were forged just steps away on the Yard. As we prepare to welcome our community back to Annapolis for the 50 Year Celebration April 17-19, we can’t wait to share this powerful tribute to honor the legacy and future of the women of the Brigade.”

This collaborative exhibit will be on display until May 31; the entry fee is included with museum admission. Admission costs $7 for ages eight and up and is free for children seven and under, members of Historic Annapolis, USNA Midshipmen and St. John’s College students with a valid student ID, and those receiving food assistance (SNAP/WIC benefits) through the Museums for All program. Historic Annapolis will also offer free admission to all active-duty military with valid ID in appreciation for their service while this exhibit is on display. Visit museum.annapolis.org for more information, or call (410) 267-7619.

PERFORMANCE . BUILT DIFFERENT.

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