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Acura Key West Race Week continues to be America’s best, most important regatta. The competition and race management are always first rate.
Our ESPN production team has been reviewing 40 hours of footage shot during the regatta from the air, water, and on board. Daily videos are available here on the Sailing World website and at www.jobsonsailing.com. The ESPN show will air on ESPN2 at 2:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 23. Featured boats will include Numbers, Rima2, Amelia, Boat of the Week Barking Mad, Full Throttle, Star, Rumor, and an interesting interview with embattled America’s Cup syndicate head Ernesto Bertarelli.
Community Sailing
The Courageous Sailing Center in Boston celebrated 21 years of activity on Thursday night, and Mayor Thomas Menino was honored for his commitment to the program.
In 1987, the late Harry McDonough received the America’s Cup 12-Meter Courageous as a gift, and his initiative to use sailing to help young people develop into good citizens has become a real success. Today, the Courageous Sailing Center is one of the largest community sailing operations in the country, spending about $1 million each year to train sailors. The program is 100% free for all youth participants.
On Thursday night, several participants spoke, including Paralympian Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (SKUD 1, naval architect Tim Shechon, who was one of the program’s first students in 1987, and a 13-year-old named Kayla, who received a standing ovation for her heartfelt words. Profiles of each speaker will appear at www.cruisingworld.com
Ted Turner sent a letter of encouragement in support of the program, and I served as keynote speaker. The message was: sailing is the vehicle, but the mission is all about the kids. It was a great night.
Polar Sailing
On February 9, I will join 106 members of the New York YC on a two-week voyage to the Antarctic peninsula. Award-winning video cameraman Mike Audick and I will be filming the expedition, which will be my fourth polar trip.
I am particularly interested to see if there has been any recession in the ice due to global warming. We will post some video clips later in the spring.
Two of my trips in years past were with Skip Novak. I write about life onboard with Skip in the February issue of Cruising World.
