Countdown to Summer Sailstice
The 9th Annual Summer Sailstice sailing celebration starts this weekend — in Shanghai, China. That’s where the sun will reach its northward zenith first on June 20, the summer solstice. Almost 24 hours later, after passing around the world, West Coast and Hawaiian sailors will get a chance to hoist their sails to join the celebration. And what better way to celebrate the official start of summer than to go sailing on that day, which also happens to be the longest day of the year?
All you have to do to take part in Summer Sailstice is go sailing this weekend. Sailors wanting something a bit more inclusive have been signing up from all over the world at www.summersailstice.com to declare their participation, have a chance at winning prizes (including a free BVI charter from The Moorings), and to support Sailors for the Sea’s ‘Around the Americas’ voyage (www.aroundtheamericas.org).
The local San Francisco Bay event will be hosted on Treasure Island with a full schedule of sailing activities. For sit-down sailors, over 100 boats have registered for the Summer Sailstice race. For the stand-up set, the Cal Cup windsurfing regatta will sail out of the Cove. And for sailors who like to kick back, Clipper Cove will again be filled with club raft-ups and individual cruisers (stern anchors recommended to minimize swinging). Ashore, five bands are scheduled to perform, free sailboat rides will be offered from the docks, there will be a boatbuilding contest, treasure hunts on the beach, and much more. See the full schedule of events at www.summersailstice.com/sf.
It’s always been hard to imagine a single sailing event that could include boats from Shanghai to San Francisco, and as diverse as a West Wight Potter, a windsurfer and a Westsail — but Summer Sailstice was created to do just that. Despite the differences in what we sail, all sailors share the same DNA quirk that makes it fun and challenging to move a boat through the water under wind power alone. Summer Sailstice has come a long way in connecting sailors with this common bond. Whether you’ll be sailing in Shanghai, Stockholm or Stockton, we hope you’ll throw off the docklines this weekend and take part.