Sailing on the Solstice

You’ve no doubt heard of — if not participated in — Summer Sailstice, a global celebration of sailing that happens every June on the weekend closest to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. But what about our comrades on the bottom half of the planet? June is the dead of winter Down Under, so joining in on Summer Sailstice celebrations means they sail on their shortest day of the year. And, hey — if they can do it, we can too, right?

This Sunday is the winter solstice, the day the sun ‘turns the corner’ and starts its climb back to the northern hemisphere. Days get longer and the countdown to summer begins. We can’t think of a better way to pass the two shortest days of the year — Saturday is less than a second longer than Sunday’s measly 9h, 32m, 52s — than by going for a sail. Make sure your running lights are in good working order before leaving the dock, though — sunset is at 4:55!