Marblehead Evening Racing Series August 9, 2023

Boston Yacht Club of Marblehead Sponsors Wednesday Evening Races

It was a perfect summer evening in Marblehead that included a beautiful time to be out on a boat. The temperature was warm, but not hot. The air was dry with a nice breeze with virtually no real waves to contend with as the wind was offshore.

We were disappointed to see the low level of activity on such a great night. August is always a big vacation month. The boats that did participate were given a treat to have these types of conditions.

Interesting to see how many boats had large number of crew onboard with their legs hanging over the sides in order to try to keep the boats flat when going up wind. Boats go faster when they do not heal as much.

The challenges of trying to increase the level of activity in the evening series are becoming more and more difficult. Marblehead harbor has about a 20 year waiting list to have access to a mooring. If potential sailors can not get a mooring they certainly will not buy a sailboat. It is virtually killing the sailboat racing activity in Marblehead.

The spirit and personality of the town of Marblehead has been built on sailing and sailboat racing. Yacht clubs like Boston Yacht Club, Eastern Yacht Club, and Corinthian Yacht Club wrote their mission statements on promoting sailing as an activity. Our guess is these clubs are now supporting new members as social members that do not have sailboats or any boats for that matter.

Source: Town of Marblehead Annual Reports - Average Waiting Time for Mooring 20 Years

Special thanks to Rumson’s Rum. They’re a sponsor of the Boston Yacht Club Wednesday Evening Series. After returning from the races we had the pleasure of sampling some of the rum from Rumson’s Rum. Encourage everyone to visit their website where you will find their wide assortment of rums, recipes, and where to buy their products.

The Rumson’s Scurvy Juice was incredibly refreshing…highly recommend it.

www.rumsons.com