Goetz Sailboats – auction set for March 6th

EastBayRI.com – BRISTOL – The company once known as Goetz Custom Sailboats may soon be dead and buried, but company founder Eric Goetz is hoping a new entity bearing his name takes its place in two weeks. In a Rhode Island Superior Court room on Friday, March 6, the company founded in a shed near the Herreshoff Marine Museum 33 years ago, the company that grew to build some of the fastest sailboats in the world, will be auctioned to the highest bidder. full story – EastBayRI.com

Vineyard ferry for sale on eBay

02/21/09
02/21/09 Cape Cod Times – Talk about depreciation.

Purchased by a New York corporation at auction just 18 months ago for a half-million dollars, the longtime Martha’s Vineyard ferry The Islander is now on eBay, with a minimum bid requirement of just $10. As of yesterday afternoon, it was only gathering bids from scrap dealers, with a top bid of $15,100.

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Block Island Race Week XXlll

2/18/09
One of summer’s most cherished regattas, the Storm Trysail Club’s biennial Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex, is set for its 23rd running from June 21-26, 2009. The regatta, which traditionally features five days of racing in both handicap and one-design classes, will also serve as the inaugural North American championship for the J/122 class and the East Coast championship for the J/109 class. The Notice of Race and online registration are available on the official event site www.blockislandraceweek.com.

“Each year we strive to provide competitors with a world-class regatta,” said Eric Kreuter, Vice-Commodore of the Storm Trysail Club and 2009 regatta chairman. “This year we expect to field over 180 boats competing in IRC, PHRF and one-design classes, including starts for the large J/105 class, J/80, Swan 42, J/120, Farr 30, Farr 40, Beneteau 36.7, and the J/44 classes. New this year will be a class start for Sport Boats. To help us better prepare for this year’s event, we are asking potential competitors to give us an early indication of interest by beginning the online entry process as soon as possible. While they have until June 01, 2009 to complete the process and pay the entry fee, this early entry information will be very helpful to our planning.”

As the first major championship for the J/122 class, expectations from the fleet are high and eight of the 40-foot performance cruisers have indicated they will be there for the one-design start. “I expect the competition to be intense,” said David Askew (Annapolis, Md.), owner of Flying Jenny VI. “We had our first J/122 class event at last year’s New York Yacht Club Race Week (at Newport presented by Rolex) and the racing was very close and exciting. A lot of the boats were new to their owners last year, so I expect this year to be much tougher. I’m sure many have a plan to improve their game. I know I do!” (more…)

RIMTA – Boating Season Kick off PARTY

02/18/09
02/18/09 Please join the Rhode Island Marine Trade Association and sponsors: Donovan Marine, Inc., Gowrie, Barden & Brett and Starkweather & Shepley at the:

BOATING SEASON KICK OFF PARTY
Monday, March 2, 2009
6 pm – 9 PM
Chelo’s on the Waterfront
One Masthead Drive
Warwick, RI

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BOSTON – 9 days – 1000 boats

02/15/09
02/15/09 The 2009 New England boat show opened Saturday and it’s worth the trip. The Convention Center is a great venue and it drew big crowds the first two days. This year’s show is smaller then usual but still big by most standards. Pictured is the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200. It’s been described as the “infusion-molded vacuum-bagged dream machine” Head up there and check it out! You have 7 more days.

Update – 02/23/09 attendance up over 2008

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Miami survival guide

02/12/09
Thursday 02/12/09 The 2009 Miami show opens today. It’s going to be mostly sunny and about 80F for the five days. The show is big, International and a great reason to leave New England. If you can get there, go but plan ahead. The show layout is not explained that well on the internet so the first thing you need to know is that it happens in four separate locations. The venues are spread apart and you can’t walk from one to the other. The best bet is a cab and give your self time. A trip from one location to another can easily take a half hour or more. There are shuttles but good luck with that.

Google Map of locations.

The other thing you need to know is that the show is actually multiple shows being run by different companies at the same time. An internet search for information on the Miami show is sure to confuse without a little background information because they have separate websites too. (more…)

Ida Lewis Distance Race “everything from family crews to grand prix teams”

02/11/09
NEWPORT, RI (February 11, 2009) — The 2009 edition of the Ida Lewis Distance Race will feature a 177nm and a 150nm race course over some of the most storied and beautiful sailing grounds in the world. With a spectacular start off Newport, R.I., the race includes turning marks at Castle Hill, Brenton Reef, Block Island, Montauk Point, Martha’s Vineyard and Buzzards Tower on its way to a signature champagne finish off the historic Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport Harbor.

The race’s fifth edition is scheduled to begin Friday, August 21 at 1500, with classes for IRC, PHRF, One-Design (including Club Swan 42) and Double-Handed sailors. It is a qualifier for the 2009 New England Lighthouse Series (PHRF); the Northern and Double-Handed Ocean Racing Trophies (IRC); and the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series.

“We have everything from family crews to grand prix teams that compete,” said Chairman Dirk Johnson, noting that George David’s (Hartford, Conn.) Rambler, a 90-footer that has won countless international races, is one of the high-profile boats expected to join the fleet this year. “And we are especially encouraging a cruising spinnaker class, since the short course provides a perfect opportunity for less competitive skippers and crews to experience an overnight race–some, perhaps, for their first time. It’s a good distance, but not so long as to be overwhelming.” (more…)

Notice of Race

02/11/09
The 2009 Annapolis to Newport Race will start June 5th, the 62nd anniversary of the race. The race is one of the most historic and well-known of the U.S. East Coast blue water races. First run 62 years ago from Newport to Annapolis, it links two seaports dating from our nation’s birth. The race provides challenging diversity over different bodies of water, as well as convenient ports of refuge along the entire course. As a result, the race is a favorite for first-time offshore competitors, as well as experienced blue water racers. The record time for the race is held by Carrera, Joseph Dockery’s Farr 60 skippered by Chris Larson, which set a new course record in 2001 of 42 hours, 58 minutes, 12 seconds. The Annapolis Yacht Club and the New York Yacht Club are the Organizing Authority for the race, with assistance from the Naval Academy Sailing Squadron and Ida Lewis Yacht Club.

press release
notice of Race
more information

Save the date! Waterline Systems high performance forum

02/11/09
Portsmouth RI – Keep Saturday Feb, 28th open! Whether your goals for next season are to move up in your club-championship or win a worlds, you can’t miss the Waterline Systems high performance forum.

Attendees will be treated to seminars offering: (more…)

NEB – One stop shopping

02/09/09
02/09/09 Portsmouth Rhode Island. New England Boatworks is a household name in boat building circles around the world for a good reason. Owners Tom Rich, Steve Casella, and David MacBain have built boats and done work for personalities from Dennis Conner to Billy Joel, power and sail up to 90′. What you would be surprised to know is that they will also bottom paint your 1990 Catalina 30 or build you a composite monument. These guys do it all.

It was freezing cold so we only took a quick 30 minute tour of the heated buildings. Bob doesn’t leave the office without his camera because one of his responsibilities is documenting what’s happening in the sheds. This must keep him pretty busy because there is a lot happening in those sheds. We checked out 4 major projects and this is only about 60% of what’s going on there.

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RI. hosts – oldest running winter surfing contest in the world! By Peter Pan

02/07/09
It is hard to believe that on February 21st, the Eastern Surfing Association will run the 41st consecutive New England Mid-Winter Surfing Championships at the town beach, (Narragansett) making it the oldest running winter surfing contest in the world!
The first contest was originally run on December 1st, 1968, at First Beach, in Newport, Rhode Island. It was held in icy cold conditions, with air temperatures in the 20′s, and a stiff off-shore wind. Over 50 surfers participated in this non-rated, ESA event, run by the ESA director, Colin Couture.
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Alert from Fall River’s Coalition for Responsible Siting of LNG

02/07/09
Hi- Many have written and called to ask what people can do to help on LNG. The e-mail action alert below came from the Fall River Coalition for Responsible Siting of LNG, regarding some important upcoming meetings. Thanks! JT.
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Puma – Deep fog postpones Volvo race in Qingdao

02/07/09
Sat – 02/07/09 In-port racing in the Volvo Ocean Race was postponed in Qingdao, China today, as deep fog descended on the race track. With little wind to speak of, it the Race Committee officially abandoned racing for the day 1610 local time (0810 GMT)

full story – volvooceanrace.org

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Massive Portsmouth wind turbine shipped from Quonset across Bay

02/07/09
Massive pieces of Portsmouth wind turbine shipped from Quonset across Bay
NORTH KINGSTOWN – One mast, measuring 80 feet in length and 13 feet in diameter, rested on a barge docked at Quonset Point. Another was nearby on the old Carrier Pier, waiting to be shipped out.
story – Projo.com

Hall Spars ships three super yacht masts

02/06/09
Bristol RI, The Hall project management team had a busy week preparing three super yacht masts for shipping to the Wally yard in Fano, Italy. The Wally 101 (148-ft. mast), Wally 80 (121-ft. mast) and Wally 130 (176-ft mast, shipping in two parts) were carefully packed and stacked on a truck and the associated parts filled a 40-foot container. In addition, the Hall 20-foot work container was readied and sent with the shipment. Hall project manager David Moffet will join Med Manager Andrea Merani and field tech Mike Brady in Italy for the stepping and sail trials this spring.

Full story / image of huge masts hallspars.com