Summer Sailstice Welcomes Aboard New Sailing Ambassadors

What if the whole world actually did go sailing ‘together’ on June 19? Would the spin of the planet slow down due to all the extra windage of hoisted sails? Would sea level rise from all the dry-stored boats getting launched? Summer Sailstice has been signing up ambassadors to help find out.

Most sailors believe more sailors and more sailing are a good thing. Sailors teach, volunteer, build boats, invite new crew, and are genuinely thrilled to introduce friends and their community to the wonders of sailing. They also want to see more boats join their fleet, class, club or local program.

The 2021 Summer Sailstice has established the new role of sailing ambassador to give enthusiastic sailing boosters a platform to grow their fleet, while growing participation in sailing. Who’s in? Ros de Vries of the Santa Cruz 27 class is helping get the class sailing, while Milly Biller continues to inspire the Inverness Yacht Club and grow the 110 class on Tomales Bay and beyond. On the East Coast, Molly Winans, editor of Spinsheet magazine on Chesapeake Bay, is helping fill the Chesapeake with sailboats on June 19. You can be an ambassador too — for your community sailing program, your yacht club, your marina or your class of sailboats. Just fill out the form here.

As an ambassador, you can do whatever you want to invite more people sailing: race, cruise, raft-up, rally or daysail. Opportunities exist to get all Alerion 28s or Express 27s out sailing. Brandon Mercer has taken on the role of J/24 fleet ambassador. What about Westsail 32s or the Mercury class?

Chris Weaver is running the 13th annual Delta Doo Dah, along with being a Summer Sailstice Delta ambassador. Summer Sailstice is an ideal time to head up the Delta — almost. It’s best to head to the Delta on a rising tide, and with slack at the GG Bridge in mid-morning on the 19th, you’ll have to leave very early to ride the current upriver. However, it being the solstice weekend, you will have more daylight than on any other day of the year, so why not enjoy it to the max?

There are just two months left, but that’s plenty of time to become a sailing ambassador with Summer Sailstice, and encourage your friends, club and fleet members to post sailing plans on the Summer Sailstice event map and be ready to loosen the sail ties on June 19. Summer Sailstice members look forward to starting the summer sailing ‘with you’ wherever and whatever you sail.