Sails greet the sun in Shanghai for Annual Summer Sailstice

by Event media on 25 Jun 2009 The 9th Annual Summer Sailstice weekend on June 20-21 increased worldwide awareness of this international sailing holiday among both mainstream sailors and the sailing media, expanding virally through social networking, and deepening Summer Sailstice traditions with continued strong participation by the general public.

'In this difficult economic environment, Summer Sailstice 2009 exceeded our expectations. This year’s event was clearly a blast for thousands of sailors around the world who once again celebrated with some new traditions associated with their holiday,' commented Summer Sailstice founder John Arndt. 'Participation globally remains as high as last year, while this year, mainstream media covered the Sailstice even more comprehensively and more actively, and participating sailors began using community networking sites including Facebook, YouTube, Yelp and Flickr to share the fun.'

Based on individual boats, multi-boat races, and flotillas registered at www.summersailstice.com, the number of boats sailing on the Sailstice surpassed 3,900. With a conservative average of four sailors per boat, an estimated 15,600 sailors participated in this year’s Summer Sailstice across all 50 U.S. states, Europe, and Asia Pacific based on site registrations.

Full participation levels for the event are undoubtedly higher with additional Sailstice sailboat participants not registered on the site along with many windsurfers, kiteboarders and other water-based event supporters. In 2008, 3,500 boats registered with an estimated 14,000 sailors participated in the holiday worldwide.

Shanghai sailors likely retained their position as the first participants of Summer Sailstice 2009 with the Shanghai Saimeng Water Sports Club launching early AM in the dark to unfurl the first sails to greet the morning sun thereby beating a sailor slightly to the East sailing from the Manila Yacht Club.

Though several boats participated in northern latitudes, including Canada and Ireland, the furthest north was likely the crew of the ‘Sergey Vavilov’ attempting to circumnavigate Spitsbergen, Norway in the region 80 degrees north latitude. Sailstice adventurers were also registered in Europe, the Caribbean, Venezuela and Mexico. Sailstice 2009 events were even held in the Southern Hemisphere to celebrate the winter portion of the solstice, including boats in Argentina and Tahiti at the Tahiti Moorea Sailing Rendezvous after the Pacific Puddle Jump. The largest Summer Sailstice event for this year was once again the Summer Sailstice Festival on Treasure Island in San Francisco, with an estimated 2,500 participants.

While Sailstice happenings were unfolding around the world, Mark Schrader and Herb McCormick were in the Gulf of Alaska on the Around the Americas expedition as part of a Sailors for the Sea fundraiser. They observed Summer Sailstice 2009 aboard ‘Ocean Watch’, the Roberts 64 steel cutter, as they neared 54 degrees North and Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

Sailstice Founder Arndt offered additional details about Sailstice 2009 developments:
• Sailstice traditions are taking hold. In addition to the Shanghai sunrise sail and dozens of repeat events, the San Francisco Festival honored the sun with 'Big Bang' solar noon and sunset cannon ceremonies, with all participants responding with resounding horn blasts across the water.
• Mainstream media is definitely paying attention. Comcast SportsNet sent a film crew to Treasure Island, and print coverage appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, Charleston Post and Courier, and Southport Globe. Additional media awareness was raised with a first-ever Media Celebrity Regatta in San Francisco presented by Summer Sailstice on the weekend prior.
• Social and new media are helping to spread the word. Sailor communications and event planning took place on Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and other networking sites. Photos and videos were posted at www.flickr.com/groups/summersailstice and on YouTube. New media coverage included the popular e-letter DailyCandy while online video news channel VidSF.com sent a film crew to Treasure Island to cover the event in their weekend preview.
• Sailstice continues to support environment conservation and water access. In addition to global fundraising for Sailors for the Sea, funds and awareness were raised for disabled sailing through Miami Shake-a-Leg and the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors, the Heart of Sailing and for youth sailing at Treasure Island Sailing Center.

Summer Sailstice prizes totaling over 400 from industry sponsors will be awarded to sailors who signed up and sailed for Summer Sailstice. This year’s awards include a one-week BVI charter with The Moorings, a course at Offshore Sailing School, a Hobie kayak, gear from West Marine, with additional prizes from top sailing industry Sailstice supporters.

Summer Sailstice 2009 kicked off the summer sailing season, now in full swing. Summer Sailstice 2010 will be held June 19-20. For more information about Summer Sailstice and to read about 2009 'Sailstice Tales,' visit www.SummerSailstice.com.

Summer Sailstice is the global holiday celebrating sailing, held annually on the summer solstice and the weekend closest to it, the longest sailing days of the year. This international event was founded in 2001 to connect the global sailing community in a fun, creative, and participative sailing holiday. Every year, Summer Sailstice connects nearly 16,000 sailors all over the world—from cruisers to racers to recreational—to celebrate the joy they experience on the water under sail. Summer Sailstice has expanded to include participants from Asia-Pacific, across the Americas to Europe. For more information, please visit www.SummerSailstice.com.