Will you go sailing to celebrate the Summer Sol Sailstice?
Others may call it the summer solstice, but sailors-in-the-know will be on the water to celebrate Summer Sailstice the weekend of Saturday, June 21. Gather your crew, family, friends, and maybe a new sailor or two, and get out on the water to enjoy the longest day of the year. Or, maybe you’d prefer to sail solo. Whatever you choose, it’s all about enjoying some sailing and the extra hours of daylight.
Those who register for the event will be eligible to win sailor-friendly prizes. Among the awesome loot up for grabs this year are a Weather Routing forecasting package valued at $1325, a Weems & Plath OGM series LED KIS light valued at $220, and Made+ Nautical footwear valued at $180.
Are you a member of a sailing or yacht club? Summer Sailstice is the perfect reason for a raftup or rendezvous. A great example is the Hunter Sailing Association Station 1 (HSA-1) annual Summer Sailstice event. This year they have a two-night cruise planned for members to sail north of the Bay Bridge and raft in Back River. If all goes according to plan, they will dinghy to Hart Miller Island, where they will tour the island.
If you sail near Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse (TPSL) on the morning of June 21, be on the lookout for a fleet of small sailing craft. The Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society and Chesapeake Light Craft (CLC), in celebration of the 150th anniversary of TPSL, have planned a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for CLC sailboats to sail as a fleet to the lighthouse. Sailors will launch from Fishing Creek and round TPSL, approximately two miles round-trip. Safety boats will be on hand, along with professional Summer Sailstice photographers to capture the special event. Registration is limited. The event is free, but donations to TPSL will be gratefully accepted. For more information, contact lighthouse manager John Potvin at [email protected] or (301)-440-8763.
All Sailstice sailors are reminded to take photos and share them to social media with #spinsheet and #summersailstice. Enter your your best images in the Sailstice photo contest and/or share with SpinSheet.
Attention, SpinSheet Century Club participants. As we have in prior years, SpinSheet offers two days of credit for those who get out sailing for the Summer Sailstice. To earn the extra credit day, you must sail on June 21, register at summersailstice.com, and, of course, log your day at spinsheet.com.
Founded in 2001 by San Francisco sailor John Arndt, publisher of Latitude 38, Summer Sailstice is the global, annual celebration of sailing. It is held each year on the weekend nearest the summer solstice. Its aim is to host a spectacular weekend uniting and bonding a critical mass of sailors worldwide in a common, publicly visible, inspiring event to demonstrate and celebrate sailing resulting in a significant, positive impact on participation—and, like sailing, have fun doing it! Come on Chesapeake sailors, join the sail-alebration! Register today! Learn more at summersailstice.com.
