Ship's Log

News and items of interest on the water and ashore

February 18, 2013
Phone Working!
The wires are uncrossed! The main number is back. 207-772-7245. Sorry for any inconvenience, and thanks!

February 15, 2013
Phone Trouble
Every year about this time as our neighbors prepare to host Maine's best Boat Show something funny happens to our communications. Today (Friday, of course), our main telephone number went down. We expect to have it back by Monday, but should you need to reach us and it's still out, please call 207-772-7245.

Thanks!

December 27, 2012
Southern Maine High School Fall 2012

November 12, 2012
Charlie Fox reports via Facebook:
Falmouth High School Sailing Team 2nd overall @ 2012 ACC Hosted by Christchurch School, Christchurch VA,

A - Division took 1st
B - Division took 6th - 1 point from 5th, 2 points from 4th

October 18, 2012
A report from Falmouth Coach Ben Rubins:

We had a very busy weekend this one past and had great results across the board. All twelve sailors were slated for four regattas and with some out sick, we filled in with sailors from other teams. A quick rundown:

- Yachtsman at SailMaine on Saturday. 3rd overall out of 14 total teams, one point out of second. Tily and Anna won A Division with a 2-1-2-2 score line while Mack and Ben Palmer ended up fourth in B Division. Had we not lost a protest, we would have won the regatta. Thanks to Lisa Lalumiere for organizing the food end, Chris Morin for being Grill Master, and all other parents who contributed their time and items for crushing the BBQ. I heard a lot of comments on how great the spread was from coaches and sailors. Thanks again to parental contributions and good job to sailors. Results are on SailMaine website. 

- SailFest at SailMaine on Sunday. 5th overall out of 14 total teams. Olivia and All-Star Stand-In Ben Palmer finished 7th in A Division while Cam W. and Torin (Portland HS) finished 4th in B Division. Cam W. had a great last set with finishes of 2-2-1 and was only 3 points out of second! Nice job Cam and Olivia! Results are on SailMaine website. 

- Larry White at Coast Guard (New London CT) on Sat/Sun. 1st overall out of 21 total teams. This is HUGE. Really, really nice finish at a big and important regatta. Charlie and Haley crushed A Division with a total of 56 points over 16 races; second place in A division had 101 points! Riley, Kayla and Myles had a great outcome to finish 8th in a competitive B Division. Thanks goes to Polly Everett for driving and chaperoning on Friday/Saturday, the Lalumieres for use of the Caboose, the Engelbergers for chaperoning Saturday/Sunday (if I remember correctly), and Coach Charlie for traveling and coaching, and Reed for traveling and watching all weekend. Apologies to anyone I forgot to thank; this would not have been possible without parental involvement! Very nice job to all those who made it possible to sail the Larry White. This win is a big notch to put in our belts. Results can be found at: http://www.hssailing.org/results/2012/12_lwhite_invite_res.pdf

- Becton Cup at Maine Maritime on Sunday. 1st overall out of eight total teams in the Maine State Women's Doublehanded Championship. This is a similarly HUGE finish for Tily and Anna especially because they just missed winning it last year. No finishes of out of the top five, seven out of eight races were top three finishes, and bullets in five races!!! Really great outcome ladies! Thanks to Chris Morin and Heather Correa for driving/attending to Castine on a Sunday (ie leaving Falmouth at Oh-Dark-Thirty). Not only are we the State Champions for Coed, we are the Womens State Champs. Booyah FHS sailors!

The last weekend regatta at SailMaine is this weekend. It is the Cheverus Cup, a varsity level regatta, on Saturday 10/20. Representing us will be Olivia and Anna in A Division with Cam W. and Reed in B Division. Tily will be the alternate. Report time is 9AM; no race will begin after 4pm. Lunch is not provided. Home regattas so FHS teammates should be there to support their team, help run race committee or mark boat etc. Link here: http://www.nessa-sailing.org/admin/images/NOR_Fall_Cheverus_Cup_%2810-20-12%29.pdf

Again, nice job to everyone for a really successful weekend across the board, and thanks to all parents involved.

October 11, 2012
High School Sailing Teams Winning Big!
It's been a busy fall for high school sailors in Maine. Over 100 sailors have been practicing since the end of August here in Portland Harbor. Practices are busy, with thirty 420 dingy sail boats on the water each day crewed by Cape Elizabeth, Cheverus, Falmouth, Portland, and Yarmouth High School athletes, together with High School sailors from thoughout the area sailing on the Southern Maine High School team.

Time on the water has paid off. Three of our teams have qualified for the two largest regional championships of the fall season!

Cheverus High School qualified for their second Great Oak Championship since the team's inception in 2006. Julia Lambert, Warren Murray, Ian Lawson and Zach Walker-Elders qualified by placing 4th at the Casco Bay Open at SailMaine. They will represent Cheverus at the Great Oaks Regatta in New Orleans, LA, Nov. 9-11th.

Charlie Lalumiere, Haley McMahon, Riley Engelberger, Kayla Adelman, Myles Everett, Reed McDermott and Cameron Loncoski, sailing for Falmouth High School qualified the team for competition at the Atlantic Coast Championships in Christchurch, VA, Nov. 10-11th by scoring 2nd of 14 teams in the Polar Bear Open at Bowdoin College and 2nd of 14 at the Arnold Brown Trophy in Martha's Vineyard.

Yarmouth High School's Sam Alexander, Kyle Thomas, Tim Morse, Emelia Von Saltza and Ethan Merrill qualified Yarmouth for the ACCs when they placed 3rd of 14 in the Polar Bear Open at Bowdoin College and 2nd of 20 teams at the Gleekman Trophy in Boston. This is Yamouth's first season as a NESSA sanctioned team.

Follow this link for Fall 2012 High School results. Congratulations, sailors!

September 16, 2012
2nd Annual Corporate Challenge Regatta
What a great day on the bay! The RBC Wealth Management team, skippered by Andrew Stern swept the series with 4 Firsts, followed by teams from Curtis Thaxter, Navigator Publishing, Fairchild Semiconductor, Verrill Dana, and HM Payson. Thanks to these companies for supporting community sailing in Maine! For more great shots of the action by Ann Blanchard, visit http://wesail.me/2012CSR.

Results and full report here.

August 15, 2012
14th Annual John Ford Regatta !

July 25, 2012
And more time on the bay!

June 19, 2012
Summertime!
Rolling from a busy spring High School Sailing season right into June, the month practically started with the SailMaine Shakedown on a breezy, rainy Saturday, June 2nd. Ten early-bird boats and their eager crews shook off the winter chill in two great races run in challenging conditions by master Principal Race Officer, Ted Smith.

The smaller boats were dominated by Matt LaLumiere's Etchells "Girl Talk", with Matt on the helm, and eighth grader Cameron Loncoski, Rob Rice and Ben Davis crewing. All these folks are SailMainers having participated in our programs. The larger boat class was won by Don Logan's J-105 "Keemah", helmed by Stephanie Helms with Jeff Smith, Jane Yurko, and SailMaine High School Sailor Peter Hyde crewing with Don and Steph.

Overall, "Girl Talk" was the victor. Congatulations to Matt, Cameron, Ben, and Rob. Many thanks to sponsors GMORA, RBC Wealth Management, Portland Yacht Services, Atlantic Tent Company, Pete and Weezy Price and family, Tyler Technologies, Regatta Promotions, Baxter Brewing Company, Tammy Robinson, Atlantic Tent Company, LT's, inc., and Handy Boat Service for their support of the event, and through it SailMaine community sailing programs.

The following Sunday, June 10th  was absolutely perfect for our 5th Annual Open House. The breeze was a moderate southerly for most of the day, that built to a snappier 15 to 18 knots as the last visitors took the last trips of the day. SailMaine skippers and friends of the program provided visitors a glimpse of Portland and South Portland from a fresh perspective aboard a sail boat all day long from 11AM until 4PM. Meanwhile, ashore there were knot tying and seamanship demonstrations and tours of our waterfront facility enjoyed by the public.

It was great to meet some of our neighbors and make new friends. We loved bringing the newbies out on the bay, and reminiscing with the old salts who stopped by. Many thanks to our friends old and new, and our sponsors Maine Magazine and Amy Alward Insurance for helping us get the word out, and their generous support of our educational programming.

Next week, the Casco Bay Junior Sailing Program begins. The coaching staff is here this week getting ready for the season. Lots to come, lots to do, lots of sailing! Watch the water!

March 18, 2012
Thanks, Down East Magazine
Down East included us in their recent review of fun things to do in retirement. Sailing is a sport with a very long time horizon. We appreciate the mention!

March 12, 2012
Boatshow Time!
SailMaine will be on hand at the 2012 edition of the Maine Boatbuilder's Show. Stop by our table to talk to one of us. Learn about our offerings for this sailing season, chat about future plans and past achievements. The show runs March 16th through the 18th. Visit the show web site for more information. See you at the show!

February 13, 2012
One Month (and a litle more) to go!
The 2012 Sailing Season begins early down here on the Harbor, with Spring High School Sailing starting up on the water March 26th. Thanks to the success of our 420 Capital Campaign, the teams have newer boats and sails to use for training and competition. The kids, and all of us at SailMaine are grateful for the community support that raised $45,000 to keep the teams and our Junior sailors on the water in safe, well-found equipment. Boating Local gave us a nice hat tip, with some awesome pictures. Thanks to them, and to all who contributed to the campaign's success.

Adult and Junior sailors can register now for our 2012 classes. We are building on our successes of 2011, with adult courses specially designed for women, a renewed Adventure class and Opti Race Team for Juniors, along with our other schedules. Be sure to take a look at what might help you or your child learn to sail in 2012.

Our programming and place on the waterfront can only be secured with the help of our neighbors. That's what community sailing is all about. Our 2011-2012 Annual Appeal drive continues, presently within $6,000 of our $45,000 goal. 60% of our funding comes from program fees, but every year we rely on community support for the rest. Nearly a quarter of that comes from our Annual Appeal. Other donations from individuals, businesses, foundations, and receipts from fund-raising events make up the rest.

Your contributions to the Annual Appeal are vital. They ensure that all kids can sail regardless of their families' financial challenges through subsidized costs and our Fee Waiver process for youth programs. Please help us close the gap by giving to the Annual Appeal right now..

November 22, 2011
Sarah Helming joins the Interscholastic Sailing Association board
Sarah E. Helming, SailMaine Director of Programs and Events, will serve as a board member for the Interscholastic Sailing Association. The ISSA oversees secondary school sailing throughout the United States as the governing body for the sport.
Helming brings to her service a lifelong love of sailing, as well as extensive experience teaching and coaching young athletes at the junior and high school level. Prior to her current position at SailMaine, she worked as Assistant Director of the Portland (Maine) Yacht Club’s Junior Program. She has been the head coach and Director of several other sailing programs, including the Nantucket Yacht Club, Nantucket Community Sailing and the Southport (Maine) Yacht Club. Additionally, she taught high school special education at Thornton Academy from 2006-2010.   She also represents SailMaine on the a board of the Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Association (GMORA), serves as assistant secretary of the Northeast Sailing Association, and on the executive board of the New England Schools Sailing Association.
Sarah’s love of sailing began with youth sailing in mid coast Maine at Southport Yacht Club and continued on with High School sailing at The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and Boston College Varsity Sailing, where she received All-American honors from the Intercollegiate Sailing Association in 2002.  Currently, she sails with an all-woman J24 team, and is the spinnaker trimmer aboard KAOS, a local Frers 41 in the GMORA racing series.

October 10, 2011
Seas of Peace
Seas of Peace partnered with SailMaine this past summer to teach conflict resolution on small keelboats for Middle Eastern and American youth Seas of Peace is a brand new sailing and conflict resolution program for Middle Eastern and American youth. The program builds on powerful work completed at Seeds of Peace summer camp in Otisfield, Maine.
At Seeds of Peace, kids engage in conflict specific dialogue in the midst of normal summer camp activities. Seas of Peace combines peace-building and conflict resolution with the profound experience of life at sea. This summer the program consisted of fifteen students from Israel, Palestine and the United States. The first ten days of the program were spent learning to sail small boats in Casco Bay, Maine at SailMaine.
Program Coordinator, David Nutt said, "SailMaine offered us the ideal location to teach sailing from the most basic level. For me, the partnership between Seas of Peace and SailMaine was particularly sweet since Sarah Helming was my junior sailing instructor at the Southport Yacht Club growing up!"
While at SailMaine, students were able to build a strong sailing base that allowed them to be more successful during the second half of the program. The remaining time spent living aboard a traditional, 140 ft schooner, Spirit of South Carolina. While living aboard Spirit of South Carolina, participants learned to sail a larger vessel, learned the basics of navigation, stood watch, cooked for each other, cared for and maintained the vessel, and eventually took command of the vessel. Through this program teenagers from Israel and Palestine had the opportunity to prove to each other that peace is an attainable reality. For more information, check out www.seasofpeace.org.

August 30, 2011
Irene, Good Night

SailMaine's site and fleet weathered Irene's visit with no damage, thanks to thorough preparation, and a bit of luck with the storm track.
The fleet was taken off the floats well before the arrival of the storm, with the last of the boats hauled and secured Saturday morning. Staff and volunteers pitched in to assure everything was tied down and secure. We heard reports from outside sources of 50 knot gusts in the vicinity early Sunday morning and through the afternoon on the waterfront.
All programming was cancelled on Monday, as we cleaned up and re-launched boats for the full resumption of Adult classes and High School team practices on Tuesday.

We're glad to be back for some great fall sailing at full strength.

August 24, 2011
A great summer of sailing, with more to come!
The Junior program completed another season last Friday, with 300+ youth learning the ways of the sea. Some highlights:
Adventure Class
The Junior Sailing program's newest class, The Adventure Course, was a great success. Five participants and one instructor explored Casco Bay for two weeks earlier in the summer. The course was designed for youth sailors who have taken sailing classes who wanted to continue building their skills and knowledge as sailors beyond the sailboat racing discipline.

The adventures began on the first day, with students getting the feel of a new keelboat in a stiff breeze. The sailors quickly learned that developing good seamanship skills would give them the confidence to venture safely out of the Portland Yacht Services mooring field.

After the first week the sailors had practiced rigging, derigging, points of sail, six different knots, crew overboard recovery, docking, and anchoring. The second week of the course covered navigation and cruising techniques. All participants took part in designing an overnight adventure for the last night of the course. The class had a successful cruise out to Little Chebeague Island, where they camped out in tents, cooked their food over a camp stove and enjoyed s'mores around a fire. We are looking forward to another great adventure next year!

13th Annual John Ford Regatta
Some of our youngest sailors braved the unusually strong breeze for a Thursday evening to compete in the annual John Ford Frosty Regatta, on August 18, 2011. SailMaine junior program staff members McKayla Dunfey, Liz Briggs, Alex Dion, Hobie Wanzer, Riley Engelberger, Nina Jarrell, Sophie Salomon, Sarah Fullam, Susie Griffin and Frosty Guru, Kyle Randall, supervised three exciting races, with a delicious BBQ following. Many thanks to the Junior Sailor parents who provided food and refreshments.

Joseph Gilbert, a veteran Frosty sailor, ended up winning this year's regatta, with strong finishes in all three races. Nicole Morse placed second, and Madeline Shields placed third in the fleet of thirteen sailors.

Congratulations all of the 2011 Regatta Participants:
Robert Bossong, Angelique Labelle, Oceane Bowden, Lawrence Bossong, CJ Jones, Adair Emmons, Ayden Grimm, Elias Grimm, Aidan Connelly, Alex Drago, Madeline Shields, Nicole Morse, and Joseph Gilbert.

Continuing this Fall - S.M.A.R.T. Optimist program
This program, which started last season, gives Optimist sailors in the area an opportunity for more time on the water, and high level coaching through practice and racing at SailMaine during the fall season. For more information, and to register, visit the program's page.

July 19, 2011
Junior Olympic Sailing Festival Northeast Day One
Racing is underway for 166 youth sailors in this year's edition of this annual event. We'll have results and reports as they become available on the event's pages. The Portland Press Herald has photos and coverage.

UPDATE: Final Results here.

June 20, 2011
Roaring June
The month has flown by, with bustling activity on the harbor. We kicked off June with our third annual Shakedown Regatta, with fun tune-up racing and a great after race cook-out with our friends from the Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Association. Click the Shakedown link for a full report.

Junior Sailing starts June 27th
Our full staff of instructors is here this week in preparation for Junior sailing which gets started next Monday. There are some class spots available. Visit our Junior pages to find out more.

Maine Maritime Museum and SailMaine
We have embarked on our new sailing lessons partnership with the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. MMM members can register for SailMaine adult sailing lessons through the Museum for 10% off the regular fee. Members may register on the MMM website, or call the Museum to register at (207) 443-1316 ext 0. For course information and availability, visit our Adult and Family Sailing pages here.

Green Initiative
As sailors, we appreciate using nature's forces to move us across the water. We're doing all we can to keep our footprint light on the waterfront and on the planet. SailMaine has joined Sailors for the Sea, a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers the boating community in protecting and restoring our oceans and coastal waters. In 2011, all regattas hosted at SailMaine to meet or exceed the requirements to be certified as Clean Regattas by Sailors for the Sea. SailMaine's Green Team, led by Gerry Tiernan, is leading our efforts to eliminate litter, improve recycling, and spread awareness of our commitment to conservation. We are providing our sailors with non-toxic, refillable water bottles and a new water station for their use. Sturgis Boat Works, another partner in the campaign, has generously provided 500+ bottles for the program.

May 18, 2011
May Media Madness
There's been a lot going on at SailMaine, and some folks are noticing it. Channel Six's Bill Green captured some great High School Sailing moments for his show, and Maine Today.com published a terriffic article in their "Raising Maine" section entitled "How to Sail at Any Age" featuring some great quotes from high school sailor and Junior Program sailing instructor, Alex Dion.

May 10, 2011
Falmouth High School Sailing finishes 8th at ISSA Fleet National Championship (Mallory Trophy)
The FHS team finished 8th in a very competitive fleet of 20 teams gathered in Austin, Texas May 6-8, 2011 competing for the Mallory Cup. The High School Fleet Racing National Championship fleet is the toughest there is, and SailMaine is proud of these young athletes and their accomplishment.
Congratulations, Falmouth!
Full results and regatta report is available on the event web site.

 

April 20, 2011
Falmouth High School Sailing Team Qualifies for ISSA Fleet National Championship (Mallory Trophy)
Final Results posted
The Falmouth High School Varsity Sailing Team placed fourth at the New England School Sailing Association (NESSA) Fleet Racing Championships, Sunday, April 18th at Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass. Over fifty high school sailing teams throughout New England participated in regional qualifiers on Saturday, whittling the field to sixteen schools for the right to compete for the O'Day Trophy at Tabor on Sunday. The O'Day is, in turn, a regional qualifier for the fleet racing national championships.

With its result, Falmouth was one of four teams from New England, along with Hotchkiss School, Tabor Academy, and St. Georges School, to qualify for the Interscholastic Sailing Association Fleet National Championships (the Mallory Trophy) to be held in Austin, Texas on May 7th and 8th. Only 20 schools nationwide qualify for the championships. Falmouth is only the second high school team in Maine history to qualify for the Mallory.

December 6, 2010
Falmouth High School Sailing Team 3rd at Atlantic Coast Championships (Portland Press Herald article)
Congratulations to a great team on a fine performance.

November 11, 2010
SailMaine alumnus Chris Poole and teammates on the Maine Maritime Big Boat Team are NEISA COED Sailors of the Week
We just received this in an e-mail from the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA):

Annapolis, MD- November 5-7, 2010- The United States Naval Academy played host to 9 teams competing in the John F. Kennedy Cup. The annual event is Collegiate Sailing's National Championship for big boat racing. The event is held each year at Navy in it's fleet of Navy 44 foot sloops. This year's regatta had nine teams competing in strong winds. The team from Maine Maritime grabbed the lead with a win in the second race and never relinquished it. Over the ten race series, the sailors from MMA only finished outside of the top three twice; one of those occasions being in the final race when they had already clinched the title. The team lead by skipper John Joseph '12 has earned the honor of representing the United States at the 2011 Student Yachting World Cup held in France by winning the event. The national champions are listed below:

John Joseph 2012, Matt Butcka 2012, Rowan Fraley 2012, Chris Poole 2012, Zachary Vickers 2012, Harrison Bispham 2013, Jake Newton 2013, David Markley 2014, Alt: Nicholas Cabral 2015

Go Mariners!

October 28, 2010
Going for the Gold

When Portland High School sailing coach Gerry Tiernan isn’t spending his time on the water helping young sailors refine their skills, he’s sailing at the next level with Paralympic gold medalist Maureen McKinnon Tucker and Sonar standout Andrew Fisher as jib trimmer aboard Andrew’s Sonar #810  in a bid to represent the United States at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. With a second place finish at the North American Challenge Cup in Chicago August 6th-9th, and an impressive first place finish with 10 bullets at the C. Thomas Cleggett, Jr. Memorial Regatta in Newport, Rhode Island August 22nd-26th, the team is a force to be reckoned with as the Games approach. While Skipper Andy Fisher has been unable to sail most of this year due to medical issues involved with his disability, helmsman John Porter filled in masterfully, keeping the team on track for gold. Sailing at this year’s Robie Piece One Design Regatta, an annual event for sailors with disabilities held in Larchmont, New York, Maureen and Andy placed second in the fleet of 18 Ideal 18s, with Gerry sailing to a 13th.

Gerry met Maureen in 2009 at the Robie Pierce. Gerry’s sailing prowess was a good fit for the team she and Andy were developing for the quadrennium, and the three of them hit it off immediately. Maureen knows quite a bit about putting together a successful team. In 2008, she and Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Nick Scandone won the gold medal at the Beijing Paralympic Games in the Scud 18. The team is now focused on the Disabled US Championships, coming up this December in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the Miami Olympic Classes regatta in January.

SailMaine is very fortunate to have a sailor of Gerry’s ability working with us and the kids. His experience and sage advice is invaluable As we continue to seek better ways to provide access to sailing for folks of all abilities and disabilities.
You can also see some local coverage of Sonar #810, Andy, Gerry, and Maureen in the September 2nd Falmouth Forecaster and on Page 7 of Maine Coastal News’ October 2010 issue.

October 11, 2010
SailMaine High School Teams Excel at Gleekman Regatta
Teams practicing at SailMaine's Casco Bay Community Boating facility captured four of the top five spots at the 2010 Fall Funfest for the Gleekman Trophy, held this past Sunday on the Charles River at Boston Community Boating. Falmouth High School took second place in the regatta, finishing only two points behind winner Duxbury High School. Falmouth's A-division squad of sailors Charlie LaLumiere, Ellie Macewen, and Cam Pennoyer had a regatta best 13 points to lead that division, with B-division team mates Holly Poole, Francesco Montanari, Haley McMahon, and Weston Scott racing to a seventh place out of nineteen teams. The SailMaine organized Southern Maine High School team took third place in the event, Cheverus High School was fourth, and Cape Elizabeth High School was fifth. Check here for the Regatta Report, and the full standings. Congratulations, sailors, coaches, and parents.

October 5, 2010
SailMaine Advanced Racing Team Clinic Shines
The S.M.A.R.T Clinic on Sunday, October 3rd was a huge success thanks to visiting coach Kevin Broome from the F.A.S.T. program and Tom Charpentier, our fall opti coach. We had a day full of sunshine and 10 knots of breeze and our wicked S.M.A.R.T sailors walked away smiling after spending the day improving their boathandling skills and reviewing the important essentials of racing.

July 29, 2010
Thank You Seabags!
Sea Bags™, designers and manufacturers of handmade totes and accessories made from recycled sails, has announced it has partnered with SailMaine to create a scholarship fund to introduce and encourage students ages 8-18 to learn the sport of sailing.
Individuals who drop off a sail to Sea Bags will receive a complimentary Sea Bags accessory, or, they can donate their sail to the “Sea Bags Scholarship Fund.” Sea Bags will then donate to SailMaine, made as a quarterly donation. The program started in 2007 and has just been enhanced by this commitment to work together. 
“SailMaine is proud to partner with Sea Bags to help kids experience the Maine coast from the helm of their own sailboat,” said Jeff Cumming, Executive Director of SailMaine. “As participants in a wind-powered sport, we think it’s appropriate to join with a local business which recycles old sails into beautiful bags and totes. We’re both creating good experiences and, in our own small way, a better world – one kid at a time.”

July 15, 2010
Junior Olympic Sailing off the Promenade
SailMaine hosted the Junior Olympic Sailing Festival Northeast Tuesday and Wednesday July 13th and 14th. One hundred and seventy seven young athletes raced their Optimists, 420s, Lasers, and Laser Radials in the premier Junior Sailing event of the Maine summer. With the help of many volunteers, and some cooperation from the weather, race committees on three lines kept the kids busy playing the shifts. Our Media page has some video from Chris Love of Sailgroove, who was on hand to record the event, and links to local coverage. James Sheilds took some interesting aerial shots of Optimists in action. Robin Leavitt shot lots of film, capturing every competitor. Full results are here.

June 29, 2010
Summer in the City
includes plenty of sailing opportunities, if the city is Portland.
Junior Sailing is underway on the waterfront, with the first of four two-week sessions starting this past Monday. Lots of kids are discovering the fun of sailing, and learning the ropes. There are still openings in some classes later this summer, so check out our course offerings. Your child can be sailing this year!

Evening sailing in 420s has begun. On Mondays, Team Racers get a chance to compete in a series that runs through August. Fridays are for fleet racing, and for open sailing, with no racing pressure. Follow the links for more information on each of these opportunities.

Want to sail, but don't know how? Our learn-to-sail classes are ready to get you sailing. Adult instruction, including classes for women only, is available throughout the season in a variety of formats. Visit this page to learn more.

Another season of Special Olympics Sailing gets underway tonight, with eight athletes and four coaches in four of our eight Ynglings. With two athletes to a boat, there's room to grow. We're glad to host this wonderful program.

June 15, 2010
And we're off!
SailMaine's started a brand new season with a lot of help from our friends. Around the boating center, 20 motivated volunteers helped us spiff up the boats and buildings at our Spring Cleanup day. Picnic tables were painted, window trim whitewashed, weeds whacked, and stray lumber stowed in preparation for another year of community sailing.

We welcomed 170 new sailors to the waterfront at our third annual Open House May 23^rd. Our Ynglings, 420s, Sea Sprite, Catalina, and a guest J24 plied the waters of Portland Harbor for several hours of a cool but hazy May Sunday, introducing our guests to the quiet fun of boats under sail. With our Adult Sailing classes underway, and Junior Program preparing to launch its first session June 28^th, several participants decided some sailing lessons might be just the thing for the coming summer. Photographer Dean Abramson caught some nice photos of the day on the bay.

A wild and wacky morning of thunder squalls was not enough to dampen the spirits of sixteen Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing crews and dozens of orange-shirted SailMaine sailors participating in the second annual SailMaine Shakedown regatta, co-sponsored by SailMaine and GMORA. After the squalls passed, the assembled fleet waited for the predicted southerly to fill. Though a bit weak, the breeze filled in just enough for PRO Ted Smith to conduct three races for the fleet. Sailing skills burnished, the crews later enjoyed an evening Pig Roast under the regatta tent. Regatta results are here, with pictures here.

The regatta brought some veteran racers and new sailors from Sail Maine's High School, Junior, and Adult sailing programs together for some really great sailing and camaraderie. Thanks to the participants, and to the generosity of our sponsors GMORA, RBC Wealth Management, Pollard Builders, the Price Family, Portland Beverage, Handy Boat Service, and Gritty McDuffs, we raised close to $6000 in support of our educational community sailing programs.

October 19, 2009
Leafer's Last Leg Regatta and SailMaine Soirée help keep SailMaine going.
Click for Regatta Results.
Click for Soirée photo gallery.

The second edition of these fall events brought seven Yngling and 420 teams, four Open 420s, and four J-24s out on the bay the afternoon of October 17th, and SailMaine supporters together later at the Portland Marine Complex for an evening of fun and fundraising. Thanks to the sailors, sponsors, volunteers, and generous attendees and donors who made Saturday a great success.

September 2, 2009
Leafer's Last Leg and SailMaine Soirée coming up Saturday, October 17th

The 2009 Edition of the Leafer's Last Leg Regatta is coming back to Portland Harbor. Eighteen of SailMaine's 420s and our eight Ynglings will be on the water, along with boats and crews from the local J24, Etchells and Laser fleets. After the Regatta, our second annual Soirée featuring a silent auction, cash bar, complimentary hors d'oevres and musical entertainment is happening at Portland Yacht Services. Both events raise funds to support our educational programs for young and old sailors. Visit the event pages for these two great happenings, and save the date!

June 11, 2009
Regatta raises thousands for SailMaine - Racing Results here

Twenty young sailors got an introduction to big boat racing and more than $4,000 was raised to support community sailing at SailMaine’s inaugural big boat regatta last Saturday, June 6. Skippers and crews from the Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Association (GMORA) fleet invited participants from SailMaine instruction programs for youth, high school and college students, and adults to join them for a day of fun and competition in Portland Harbor.
“We accomplished everything we set out to do with this regatta. It was great to see our students in their bright orange shirts working with crew mates on the big boats from the GMORA fleet,” said regatta organizer Sarah Helming. “And the weather was perfect, with sunny skies and 12-15 knot winds. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.”
Following the race, about 100 participants gathered for a shore side party that included a pig roast and live music.
“We’re grateful to our sponsors (GMORA, Pollard Builders and RBC Dain Rauscher) and all the volunteers who worked so hard to put this all together,” said Helming. “We also appreciate the GMORA skippers and crews who invited SailMaine students aboard their boats. It was a real boost to our mission to promote the sport of sailing in Maine and give new sailors a way to get started through our program.”
The Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Association is a not-for-profit, charitable corporation formed to act as an amateur athletic organization to promote yacht racing, including international yacht racing in the ocean waters of the Gulf of Maine. GMORA maintains a web site at www.gmora.org.

June 11, 2009
265 set sail at SailMaine's Open House

SailMaine's second annual Open House took place this year on Sunday, May 31st on a sunny and breezy day. Two hundred sixty five newcomers to SailMaine came down and waited in a quick line to enjoy a brisk sail on Casco Bay. Turnout was nearly double last year's, and all who wanted to got some time on the water, despite the lack of SailMaine's largest vessel available for sailing.

Boats that were skippered by experienced volunteer sailors were SailMaine's own Catalina 22, Seasprite 24, four Ynglings, four 420s, and a Pearson 28 made available for the event by a SailMaine coach. Visitors that opted to stay ashore were given rigging demonstrations on two of SailMaine's smallest boats, an Optimist and a Frosty. Some of SailMaine's junior instuctors were on site to teach knots and answer questions about the smaller boats that were fully rigged, sails luffing, on shore.

With the wind ever building and storm clouds looming in the south, SailMaine's thirty volunteers quickly wrapped up the event a little before 3pm, just before a downpour. The day was a great success: new sailors were signed up for classes, and two local news stations aired footage and information about SailMaine following the Open House. We're already looking forward to next year!

April 28, 2009
New England Fleet Racing Championship - Sunday, April 26th, 2009 Results

A great, if shifty, day of sailing for 15 teams. A full regatta report, including video, is here. Thanks to all for coming.

April 23, 2009
New England Fleet Racing Championship - Sunday, April 26th, 2009

SailMaine is hosting the O'Day Championship, also known as the High School Fleet Race New England Championship. Schools from all over New England will be competing to sail in this event. Teams that sail out of SailMaine are: Cape Elizabeth High School, Cheverus High School, Falmouth High School and Portland High School. These teams are hoping to qualify for Sunday's contest in sailing Saturday, April 25th at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH.

The racing will take place off SailMaine's Casco Bay Boating Center site located adjacent to Portland Yacht Services, 58 Fore St Portland ME. 04101. The Boating Center is a great spot to watch the action.

April 15, 2009
Hey, Suddenly it's Spring!

SailMaine has a lot to talk about!

The spring High School season is going strong, with teams from Portland High School, Cape Elizabeth High School, Cheverus High School, and our Southern Maine High School conglomerate team practicing daily down at the Casco Bay Community Boating Center. Follow the action from our High School Sailing pages.

We're teaming up with Points East Magazine and Handy Boat Service to host a Crew Match Party Wednesday, May 6th at Handy Boat, 215 Foreside Road in Falmouth, 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Skippers looking for crew, and crew looking for a boat can mix and meet. Complimentary hors d'oevres and refreshments will be available.

Our annual Open House will take place at the Casco Bay Boating Center Saturday, May 31. Boat rides, tours, nautical lessons, and more. Last year, Over one hundred thirty people joined us for an afternoon of sailing, hot dogs, and cameraderie. Wind Game, our Ericson 35, was kept busy all afternoon with full crews of new sailors touring the harbor, in the company of our eight Ynglings and some of our 420s. Come on down to the boating center May 31st and see what SailMaine community sailing has to offer.

The inaugural SailMaine Regatta, co-sponsored by SailMaine and the Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Association will be held at the Boating Center Saturday, June 6th. Registration information and other details will be posted soon.

January 10, 2009
Early Winter Update

The 2008 Frostbiting series concluded early due to the amazingly bad weather of December 21st. Competition was fierce especially at the top of the fleet, with Andrew Carey's “Sneezy, Wheezy, Grumpy” team just edging out Win Fowler's “Family Unit”. The Family Unit team of Win, his daughter Sherry, and her husband Jim Mason lost by dint of one OCS on the very first race day. All nine teams had a great time out on the water in fine fall weather.

Cheverus Co-Captain Ian Conners led a team of young volunteers in completing an Eagle Scout project procuring and installing a photovoltaic energy supply for SailMaine's shed. In addition, Portland Yacht Services extended its electrical service drop to provide reliable hardwired power to our site. Special thanks from SailMaine to both Ian and Phin Sprague of PYS for lighting us up for this winter and beyond

We've also done a bit of site work here online, as you may have noticed. Our goal was to make the site easier to read, navigate and to present the timeliest information to our sailors with fewer clicks. We're not done yet. Look for more pictures and videos, and some more sailing links to be added as the year goes on.

November 15, 2008
Frostbiting, Leafer's Last Leg Regatta, SailMaine Soirée

The eight edition of frostbiting in Ynglings at SailMaine got underway October 26th, and will run through December 21st. Nine teams are rotating through our eight Ynglings every Sunday afternoon. Come on down to the waterfront to watch. Visit the Frostbiting page to follow the action, see some pictures, and get the scores.

Saturday, November 8th saw eleven 420s and eight Ynglings out in the harbor competing in the Leafer's Last Leg Regatta. Eight 420s joined the Ynglings to form a two division racing team, affording an opportunity for some parents to join their young sailors in some fun competition at SailMaine. Later that evening, the competitors and friends of SailMaine gathered at Portland Yacht Services for the first annual SailMaine Soirée, which featured musical entertainment provided by Richter Ensembles, a silent auction, refreshments, and the presentation of awards for the day's racing. The Soirée and the Regatta raised funds in support of SailMaine's efforts to bring affordable access to sailing to the communities of greater Portland and Casco Bay. A big thank you to all who sponsored the event and to all who attended. Regatta results are here.

August 25, 2008
Season wrap-up, the John Ford Regatta

Casco Bay Junior Sailing wound up a busy and fun season last Friday. 184 young sailors were introduced to the sport, or honed their sailing skills in three 3 week sessions. One highlight of the season was the tenth annual John Ford Regatta, held at SailMaine on Wednesday the 20th. The turn out for racing in our fleet of Frostys was fantastic! Though most of the day was filled with big breeze that even our advanced sailing class couldn't contend with, race committee and sailors alike were pleased to see the clouds part and the wind die down a bit. Sixteen sailors under age thirteen came down to participate, and our Frosty instructor Kyle Randall served as Race Committee and led a great Skippers Meeting that introduced our younger sailors to the race course. All in all, the evening breeze facilitated a great set of races and between the colorful boats and the medals given to all, fun was had by everyone!

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phone: (207)772-SAIL (7245) • fax: (888) 674-SAIL (7245) • 58 Fore Street • Portland, Maine 04101 • learntosail at sailmaine.org