SAIL MV FALL 2015 Advancing maritime education on Martha’s Vineyard ~~ www.sailmv.org Celebrating a Milestone: the First 25 Years alter Cronkite was speaking of Sail Martha’s Vineyard was quite another challenge. “Our children’s WVineyard, an organization then just five years old, when programs began at the Edgartown and Vineyard Haven yacht he told the Vineyard Gazette in 1996: “The willingness to take clubs,” recalls Peggy Schwier, Sail MV’s president since 2006 — something from scratch and put it together and make it work, “because in those days we had no staff, no boats and no place to that’s dedication.” keep them.” Sail MV, which in 2016 celebrates 25 years of service to The summer of 1994 saw the founders’ dream realized, when the Island community, was founded on a dedication to the Oak Bluffs agreed to lease the beach and a shed on the Lagoon idea that the Island’s maritime heritage and traditions are at Sailing Camp Park for an on-the-water youth program. That precious cultural assets, worth being celebrated and perpetuated. The organization was founded in 1992, and is still based today, on the conviction that Island residents should be encouraged to enjoy the marine environment that surrounds and enriches us — and especially on the idea that all the children of Martha’s Vineyard, regardless of economic status, deserve the chance to learn basic boating and sailing skills. Sail MV was an idea before it was an organization — a wonderful idea, batted around, nurtured and refined during meetings in the Tisbury living room of Nancy Hoffman in From the scrapbooks: These Periwinkle Juniors, designed by Gannon & Benjamin and built by students in the the winter of 1991-1992. Island schools, were among the first teaching platforms for Sail MV in its early classes on the Lagoon. Operation Sail, the national 1992 celebration marking the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s summer, Liz Packer volunteered to teach a dozen fifth-graders voyage to America, gave the organizers a high-profile occasion there. to connect with the founding of a new Island nonprofit venture. Describing that inaugural effort in an interview that Walter Cronkite, the eminent newsman and avid sailor, lent summer, Liz Packer expressed her personal take on one of Sail his gravitas as honorary chairman. And in 1992 Sail Martha’s MV’s core values. “Mostly,” she said, “it’s the summer crowd Vineyard was incorporated and hosted a small fleet of tall that gets to go sailing. I wanted to give back to the kids who live ships that summer, including the barkentine Gazela, the U.S. here — let them look at the Island from a different perspective.” Coast Guard’s Eagle and the training ship Rose, the Nantucket In the years since that first group of children ventured out Lightship and the Vineyard’s own Shenandoah. to begin lifetimes of enjoying the water, Sail MV has only The visits of tall ships in 1992, and another in the summer continued to grow. of 1993, were great successes for the newborn Sail MV, but Working from designs created at the Gannon & Benjamin bringing boating education to the children of Martha’s — to page 2 Sail MV Celebrates an Eventful 25 Years — from page 1 adult education programs, Sail MV found its first office Boatyard, students in shop classes at the Tisbury, West Tisbury and classroom space at the historic Mayhew Schoolhouse and Edgartown schools built three Periwinkle Junior boats for building in Vineyard Haven. Noreen Baker was hired as the use in summer classes — and later expanded that fleet to six. organization’s first office manager; she was succeeded by Hope In the spring of 1995, Hugh Schwarz and Arnold Brown Callen in 2000, and the Mayhew Schoolhouse continued to launched the first racing program for students at the Martha’s serve as Sail MV’s headquarters for nearly two decades. Sail MV Vineyard Regional High School, with George Brush and Nancy now operates from three primary locations: its staff offices on Highet as its first coaches. That program has grown to the status Beach Road in Vineyard Haven; its workshop on Breakdown Lane in Vineyard Haven, where maintenance to its fleet of some 84 vessels continues year-round; and its boatshed at Sailing Camp Park, constructed in 2001. Of all the programs of Sail MV, perhaps none has expanded as dramatically as its summer classes for children at Sailing Camp Park. By its fifth birthday in 1996, Sail MV had grown its summer classes from that first group of twelve to an enrollment of 50 children. In the decades since then that number has doubled, and doubled again — this summer, 432 children learned boating skills during eight weeks of classes on the Lagoon. The scale and scope of Sail Martha’s Vineyard, as it enters its 25th year, is a powerful validation of its founders’ dreams for an organization dedicated to advancing maritime education on the Island. Sail MV now offers academic courses in maritime studies at the high school, in a curriculum This old shed served as Sail MV’s only storage space for its programs at Sailing Camp Park in the early years. A new two-story building was constructed here in 2001. that has expanded from a mentorship program to a career training track for of a full varsity sport, and this year the high school team was which the high school is now seeking certification. Sail MV named the top-ranked public school team in all of New England. sponsors nationally-ranked varsity and junior varsity racing Sail MV expanded its programs to include rowing in the teams at the high school, and offers adult courses on subjects spring of 1997, and it has become one of the organization’s from coastal navigation to certified captain’s licensure. Sail MV presents a dinner-lecture series each winter, and each summer hosts the Vineyard Cup, which in 10 years has established itself as one of New England’s premier sailing regattas. Each year ‘The emphasis of Sail MV has since 2010, Sail MV has presented the Walter Cronkite Award always been on the enjoyment to honor an individual who has advanced the appreciation of maritime culture on Martha’s Vineyard, and since 2014, Sail of activities on the water over MV has presented the Donald Rappaport Legacy Scholarship to a member of the high school graduating class. the span of a lifetime.’ One of the things she loves most about Sail MV, says Peggy Schwier, is the hands-on spirit of dedication Walter Cronkite referred to 20 years ago. “It’s such a great group of local people, most popular activities, now with more than three dozen active working together, and I love that. It’s really a handmade, participants and outings nine times a week on two Island-built grassroots organization.” Cornish pilot gigs, Cassie and Grace. She concludes: “The emphasis of Sail MV has always been Sail MV’s primary fund-raising event, the Seafood Buffet on the enjoyment of activities on the water over the span of and Auction, has been held at Ralph Packer’s Tisbury Wharf a lifetime. We’ve cultivated young sailors on a nationally- every summer since 1992. From modest beginnings, this event ranked racing team. But just as important, we’ve fostered a has grown to become a highlight of the Vineyard’s summer love of sailing in a generation who, in the next few years, will calendar — raising more than $140,000 this year. be bringing children of their own to Sailing Camp Park on In 1996, as its year-round efforts expanded to include summer days to learn the same.”

2 Varsity Sailing Team Builds on Its Success he varsity sailing team at Martha’s TVineyard Regional High School – a program underwritten almost entirely by Sail Martha’s Vineyard – saw huge success in its spring 2015 round of racing competition. The team was invited for the second straight year to the Fritz Mark Trophy competition, the regional finals of the New England Scholastic Sailing Association, held in May in Orleans. And when the season was over, Martha’s Vineyard had the highest-ranked public school sailing team in all of New England. But that was last year, and this year’s varsity squad has an ambitious goal: doing just as well with a team that lost nearly a The sailing team aboard their 420s, honing their racing skills on Lagoon Pond. dozen seniors to graduation in June. The first test for the sailors who will but we would see the kids sailing and Burr says. Sail MV not only sponsors the make up the 2016 season’s varsity came I thought, I want to do that!” He took varsity team but also runs a fall program this fall at the Arnold Brown Regatta, classes later at the Vineyard Haven Yacht that cultivates the skills of junior high held on Lagoon Pond, when the team Club, and he’s been sailing ever since. students who’ve shown an interest in sailed to a fourth-place finish in a field of Just being fast on the water and being team racing. twelve. That’s almost as good as last year’s a good team racer are two separate skills, For students like Zach and Mary, third place, says Mary Morano – and says Coach Burr. But whether a sailor team racing has been the discovery of a this gives Mary and her co-captain, Zach favorite thing to do. Says Zach, “Team Bresnick, hope for the season ahead. racing really is more of a team effort Varsity sailing is a tight-knit than anything I’ve ever done before. subculture at the Island high school. In a Everyone has to communicate – they world where almost everybody can speak have to know their roles and play in football terms like blitz and draw play, them. At the end, when you all do it the sailors say the eyes of their friends successfully, it’s such a rush.” quickly glaze over if they try to talk Mary thrives on that sense of mastery about such tactical plays of team racing as her coach talks about: “I love knowing the back pass or mark trap. how to do everything, and being in But these young sailors display a fierce such control of the boat. Having that love for their complicated and little- understanding, and then just improving understood sport. The fact that almost once you get on the water is so satisfying the only people they can discuss the sport to me.” She feels she’s making real with are their teammates and coach, progress on her tactical game, and she Andrew Burr, only seems to bind them adds, “It’s awesome because I learn more closely together. something every day.” “I’ve created some pretty great Captains Zach Bresnick and Mary Morano. Brock Callen, director of Sail friendships on this team,” says Mary, Martha’s Vineyard, sees the success of a junior whose ambition is to attend wants to pursue fleet racing or team the varsity racing team as an affirmation George Washington University and racing, he says, nothing beats starting of the organization’s strategy of putting sail competitively there. “A couple of them young: “Over years of sailing, so the emphasis on fun and offering a my teammates who graduated last year, many things become involuntary. When pathway to competition for those young I’m so close with them – I talk to them you watch a really good sailor, there’s sailors who show an interest. “At Sail every day.” never a doubt that if they want to do MV,” he says, “our focus has always been Zach, a senior bound for Northeastern something specific with the boat, they on teaching kids to sail, not to race. But University next year, says some of his can do that. They hardly think about we find that each year, a small percentage first experiences on the water were in it – it’s all instinctive. They just own the are interested in the competitive aspect. the summer instructional programs of situation, and it’s a beautiful thing.” And we don’t want to abandon those Sail Martha’s Vineyard. “I started in the Watching this sort of automatic kids – or we wouldn’t have created and Messing Around in Boats program. It mastery emerge in his young sailors is one supported and coached a nationally- was a lot of fun – we were mostly rowing, of the satisfactions of his work, Coach ranked high school sailing team.”

3 Annette Martel Brings Hands-on Attitude To Work as Sail MV’s Operations Manager o say that Annette Martel brings an Timpressive skill set to her new job as operations manager at Sail Martha’s Vineyard is putting it mildly. Captain Martel, who joined the staff this July amid final preparations for the annual Vineyard Cup Regatta and the Seafood and Buffet Auction, has spent her working life on the water, many of those years in positions of broad responsibility. Brock Callen, director of Sail MV, remembers vividly his first visit with her at work on the organization’s historic 41-foot Concordia yawl, Dolce, which Annette was commissioning for a summer of sailing: “She was upside-down in the engine compartment, changing belts and fluids and filters, getting to know things.” To hear Annette describe the commissioning of a 41-foot yacht, it sounds like almost no challenge at all. “I tuned the rig, got the sails on, serviced the engine, cleaned everything, basically saw to a myriad of details.” She adds, “I guess I’ve always enjoyed hands-on experiences. It’s satisfying, researching a problem, figuring out an approach, getting organized, making something better.” A hands-on attitude and a love of all things nautical seem to be two of Annette’s defining attributes. She remembers helping her older brother work on his cars by fetching his tools when she was just five or six years old. The summer she spent at age 15, working at a cousin’s Vineyard bed-and-breakfast was when, she says: “I fell in love with the water. And I used to wonder, how can I do something on the water?” Annette Martel aboard Sail MV’s 41-foot yawl Dolce. The experience of crewing on a 42-foot Whitby needs of the youth instructional program on the Lagoon. “They yacht in a summer between college years cemented her let me know at the end of every day what they need, what’s conviction that this was where she wanted to be, says Annette. broken, what’s lost. Every morning I’m on it, making sure they get After school she earned her 100-ton master’s license and went everything they need. Most days, by lunchtime I’m out on Dolce. to work running charters and delivery service in the Caribbean It all works, and I really enjoy the multifaceted aspect of it.” during the winter, operating launches in Edgartown Harbor Dolce is a terrific ambassador for Sail MV, Annette says. each summer and crewing for Walter Cronkite on his famous “Whoever comes by the Dolce seems to notice us and has yacht Wyntje. something to say. It’s a great way to meet people, and I’ve been able Before marrying Alec Forbes in May 2014, Annette spent to get the word out to a lot of people about Sail Martha’s Vineyard. 27 years working on Naushon Island, where she oversaw And the people we’ve taken out sailing have been thrilled. It’s so maintenance of nearly 200 small boats and later captained the easy to be successful and make people happy on this boat.” Naushon ferry, somehow also finding time to manage the island’s Looking ahead, she says, “I’d love to see Dolce grow into an power plant and telephone system. “It was quite busy,” she says instructional platform. I really think we could teach people to with a grin — “it was a nice experience, and I learned a lot.” cruise using this boat, and I’d love to be involved in that.” Annette and Alec decided to relocate on the Vineyard after No one at Sail MV is happier to have Annette Martel on the marrying because they saw it, in her words, as “an ideal place team than Brock Callen, who this fall is working with the regional to address our diverse backgrounds.” Alec, a farmer, is working high school on a Marine Studies program that has tripled in scope now as farm manager for the FARM Institute in Edgartown, from last year. “It’s not just that Annette brings a huge amount and Annette is doing the work she loves with Sail MV. of relevant experience to Sail MV,” says Brock. “She’s also such a A typical summer day at Sail MV for Annette Martel — if friendly, outgoing person. There’s no way I could be teaching our there is such a thing — involves a morning of attention to the new schedule at the high school if it weren’t for her.”

4 Help Sail MV Meet the Challenges of Success!

The 10th annual Vineyard Cup Regatta drew a fleet of boats, many of them returning for multiple years, for a weekend of spirited sailing.

Dear Friends, We have grown the summer learn-to-sail program The challenges we face as Sail Martha’s Vineyard turns to over 400 kids and 50 adults. We have coached, 25 are enviable ones. We are the victims of our success. equipped and funded a high school sailing team that Sail MV has grown into an organization that not completed the 2015 spring season as the highest- only teaches rowing, sailing and maritime skills but as ranking public high school in New England. We importantly, an organization that looks to every day as an have a solid track record teaching Masters Licensing opportunity to have an impact on the lives of the children Courses for the United States Coast Guard . . . and and adults we are privileged to serve. We pride ourselves there is so much more. on the fact that we are truly a public access organization, Now, with over one thousand children and adults opening our doors to everyone and providing them the going through our programs every year, the time has opportunity not only to learn about the sea that surrounds come to address the need to expand our year-round us but also to gain valuable experience on the water and in employee base, and to move more aggressively to put the classroom. Our operating mission is to teach skills to down roots into owned rather than rented space. last a lifetime while perpetuating the maritime traditions These issues are born of Sail Martha’s Vineyard’s success. of Martha’s Vineyard. That success has been made possible by the generosity of Only the boldest of our founders in the early 1990s so many – you included. As you think through your year- could have envisioned Sail Martha’s Vineyard where end gift to us, we would ask that you consider the scale and it is today. We have authored a Maritime Sciences scope of the challenges we face and consider making as curriculum for the high school which now in its significant a contribution as you can. seventh year is fully enrolled and is proud to have As always, thank you for your support. generated students who have enrolled in the maritime colleges, gone to work on harbor tugs and research Peggy Schwier, President, Board of Directors vessels and worked for our own Steamship Authority. Brock Callen, Executive Director

5 Thanks for Supporting the Mission of Sail MV

ail Martha’s Vineyard depends for its support on fees for our Mary Jane Grant services; revenues from the Seafood Buffet & Auction and the Vineyard Reginald & Fay Elizabeth Greene S Brad & Patti Griffith Cup Regatta; and the charitable gifts of the donors listed here. Jeffery Honickman We are grateful for every donation, for all the in-kind gifts and for John A. Howell the many contributions of time and talent that advance our mission. Joni Jackman Gerald & Linda Jones We sincerely apologize for any inadvertent omissions in this list. Kenneth Katz $10,000+ Warren & Anne Vose Timothy Landry Sam & Linda Warriner Bruce & Jean Lewellyn Anonymous Michael & Jeanine Liburd Eric & Pat Widra Cronigs Market Robert & Gayle Mone John & Charlotte Klein Patricia Morgan $5,000-$9,999 Mary R. Brown Ann E. Clark Private Foundation Couch Family Foundation Stuart & Beverly Halpert Wendy Whipple $2,500-$4,999 Emily Bramhall M/M Robert Hoerle Jill & Ken Iscol Peter & Judy McChesney Permanent Endowment Trust Dan & Ellen Pesch John & Lisa Stout $1,000-$2,499 Patrick Ahearn Angela Andersen Landon & Carol Butler Mark Cronin Morris & Pamela Flam Henry Goldberg Jack & Nora Kerr Blake Middleton Sail MV rowers head out through morning fog into Vineyard Haven Harbor. Jane Newman Chris & Sheila Morse Bailey & Joan Norton $250-$999 Jim & Elisabeth Oakes Theodore Murphy /Ann DuCharme Dan O’Connell John & Julie Banks Mara Williams Oakes Barbara Pyle David Behnke Brien O’Brien Mrs. Donald Rappaport Lawrence & Janet Bell Our Island Club Bob & Pat Snyder Elizabeth Bramhall M/M Richard Pough Mark & Susan Scheffer David & Karin Brown Pamela Faulkner Quinn Bob & Peggy Schwier Carolyn H. Burns John & Heidi Ryder Warren Spector Todd & Jennifer Christy Josh & Lindsey Scott State Street Bank M/M Wendell Colson James & Anne Besse Shepherd M/M James Swartz John Davies Bill & Julie Skinner James & Laura Swent Simmy Denhart David Thompson M/M Klaus Vogt Russ & Catherine Urban Pamela Quinn Faulkner John & Gail Wasson Alexander Vietor Andrew & June Flake John Wilson David & Nancy Vietor Irving & Sharon Gates Denys & Marilyn Wortman Vineyard Vines Timothy Gollin Mead & Ann Wyman

6 0-$249 Eric & Amanda Adams June Ameen Dorothea Arnold Esther Arnold Jon & Kim Averill Howard Balloch Valerie Becker Andy & Peyton Berry Ray & Melanie Bilodeau Richard & Mary Kate Bluestein Anna Borre-Boon Woody & Susie Bowman Malcolm Boyd Rick Brew Judith & Bob Bruguiere Chris & Beth Buehler A festive evening under the tent at the 2015 Sail MV Seafood Buffet and Auction. Jacque Cage Patricia Carlet Kenneth Jones Dr. & Mrs. Michael John & Margaret Verret Brendan Carroll Philippe Jordi/Randi Baird Romanowsky David Vigneault /Sarah Vail Alba Carson Sallyann Kakas Kyle Rothery Judith Villa Edward Child Marilyn Katzman Candy Ruitenberg Thomas Winchell Richard Clark Karen Kaufmann Jake Russell Eric & Penny Winter Bill & Emily Coggins Mary Beth Keenan Carolyn Salwyn Nancy Wolf Gerret & Dianne Conover John Keene/Hillary Noyes Joseph & Amy Sarbinowski Janet Woodcock William Coogan Keene Paul Schneider/ Nina Robert Woodruff M/M Matthew Cramer Charlene Kelly Bramhall Edwin Woods, Jr. Jerry & Gail Davidson Gene Klinck Peter Scott Mr. & Mrs. Walter Wright Nelia Decker Steve Koski Elizabeth Seamans Irene Ziebarth Peter Del Vecchio Marjorie Lau Charlie Shipway Durley & Elaine Depaula Anthony Lefeber Joyce Silberling In Memory: Scott & Lila DiBiaso M/M Stephen Lewenberg M/M Ronald Silva Bob Jackson James Dixon Melinda Leyden Susan Slahetka Bruce Slater Frank & Cheryl Doble Melinda Loberg Linda Lovell Smith Kim Strachan Chris & Kim Drew John & Sarah Lolley Jesse Snyder Captain Richard Wool Dianne Durawa James & Wendy Maseda Susan Stewart Richard B. Young Betsy Edge Stephanie Mashek Sylvia Storey Mrs. Frank Elliott Robert Massick Bruce Stuart In Honor: Karen English Petra Lent McCarron Mary Sullivan Dan Culkin Dr. Ruth Faden M/M Max McCreery Frank & Mary Sutula James & Donna Dixon Reiner & Caroline Fenske Joseph McKay George Fisher Ernie Mendenhall /Kathy H. Thomas Fisher Logue Brian & Noreen Flanders Edward Miller Our Mission, Since 1992 FM Global MJ & Judy Mintz From the Sail MV Articles of Incorporation: Meredith Gallo Adam & Melissa Moore Susan Sigel Goldsmith Georgia Morris “To promote, study, research, educate and fund Regan Goldstein Edward & Cynthia Olivier projects, enterprises and undertakings designed or Anne Good Richard Osnoss / Jan otherwise construed to reaffirm the island character Jerry Goodale Buhrman and maritime heritage of Martha’s Vineyard Alan Gowell Lori Pfingst through programs and activities in the regional Alice Goyert Susan Plaine school system and the broader community that Dan Greenbaum M/M Robert Potter Phil & Deb Hale Rajiv & Rini Ratan refocuses attention to the ocean and waterfront Adam & Elizabeth Hayes Jack & Lisa Reagan of today and in history, and to foster educational Jonathan Healy Doug Reece programs for the training of the community in the Judy Hickey Devin Reston science of seamanship and navigation.” James & Jeanne Hupprich M/M Charles Rock

7 Save These Dates! Seafood Buffet & Auction: Since the winter of 2008, dinner programs at the July 7, 2016 Black Dog Tavern have been a popular tradition for Sail Martha’s Vineyard. Over the years, a wide variety of Vineyard Cup Regatta: authors, sea captains and maritime experts have given July 8, 9 & 10, 2016 lively programs at the tavern on the Tisbury waterfront. Specifics of this year’s four programs aren’t final, but the dates are set. Programs will be held on Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 9 and April 13. Call the Sail MV office or Sail MV is deeply grateful for the support check the website as these dates approach for full details. One of the presenters is definite: The Island’s own Sam of our Corporate Members: Low, who is bringing the 62-foot, seagoing Polynesian ocean canoe Hokule’a (pictured above) to the Vineyard Cronigs • Hutker Architects • MV Shipyard next summer as part of its four-year world cruise MV Savings Bank • Edgartown National Bank promoting awareness of global warming, has promised to Gannon & Benjamin • North Sails • Morris Yachts be the speaker at one of these winter-spring programs. Cost of a warming dinner and program is $25 per Sugarbush • Lynch & Assoc. • 11th Hour Racing person. Again, watch sailmv.org for details.

Sail Martha’s Vineyard P.O. Box 1998 Vineyard Haven, MA 02568