Saturday, July 9, 2016

Vineyard Cup Preview

J/70 Vineyard Vines/ Vineyard Cup Regatta (Vineyard Haven, MA)- This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Sail Martha’s Vineyard! The Vineyard Cup, begun 11 years ago, brings in the revenue to afford our programs that have expanded to reach more than 400 kids each year for our summer sailing program alone. The educational offerings have grown as well, with Maritime Studies and scholarships at the high school level and courses, licenses, rowing, films and lectures to serve our youth well into adulthood.

Walter Cronkite was a founder of Sail Martha’s Vineyard, an Honorary Director, and was there to help Sail MV over the years. He attended many a Seafood Buffet and Auction. He was the Honorary Commodore at the first Vineyard Cup, in his yacht ‘Wyntje’. He had always said that Sail MV was a quintessential Martha’s Vineyard organization, home grown and home supported, and that Sail MV was preserving our maritime culture through the education of our children, endowing them with the knowledge and skills for their lifetime.

Helping to support that cause by participating in the Vineyard Cup are several J owners from across the cruising and racing spectrum. In the PHRF Non-Spinnaker Class are two beautiful J/100s- Tom Welch’s ESCAPE from Oak Bluffs and Phil & Rob Hale’s TANGO from Vineyard Haven.  In the PHRF Spinnaker Class is John Ryder’s J/70 AMONINI, two J/105s (Matt & Lisa Schmitt’s HARDTACK & Ed Lobo’s WATERWOLF) and Stephen Besse’s J/120 APRES.  For more Vineyard Cup sailing information