Sail Sand Point is Seattle’s Non-Profit Community Sailing Center and it has been an oasis for small boat sailors in this area since 1998. This summer they are hosting their 25th Birthday Party Celebration and Fundraiser on the evening of Thursday July 27th over on Lake Washington and you should attend to celebrate and support their work! For this special year’s party they are taking over the beautiful deck of the Magnuson Cafe and Brewery overlooking the lake to celebrate with passed apps, dinner, open wine/beer/cider bar, live music, an award presentation to Rod Dembowski (King County Council President), student sailor remarks and a mess of fun raffles (including free haulouts, Kraken/Sounders/Mariners/Storm tickets, Hood River vacations, ski/snow packages, boat shows, local cruises, a kayak full of beers and LOTS more)! Many local sailors will be in attendance and YOU should join the mix.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
If you’re not involved with Sail Sand Point in some way, you are missing out. It’s a chance for sailing, teaching, community, fun and to give back. If you’ve been missing out, fortunately there’s a kickoff party this Saturday so you can catch up All for free! From Executive Director Seth Muir:
We’d love to have you come join us this Saturday for our free community Season Kick-Off Party. There will be live music, boat rides (starting at 4), available rentals of SUPS, kayaks and sailboats, a BBQ and games. And tasty food and drinks next door at the Magnuson Cafe and Pub. We hope to see you all down at Sail Sand Point!
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
We’ve known for a while that Mary Anne Ward was leaving the Executive Director position at Sail Sand Point. Now we know her replacement! Sailish.com wishes Seth the best of luck as he is stepping into one of the very best jobs around, growing sailing in the Northwest. Here’s the press release.
January 9, 2019-Seattle, WA-Saiil Sand Point, Seattle’s Community Boating Center, is proud to announce that Seth Muir will be stepping in as Executive Director February 1, 2019.
Muir comes to Sail Sand Point from Salish Sea Expeditions, a
non-profit sailing and marine science organization based in Puget Sound, where
he served as Executive Director from 2012-2019. In his time with Salish Sea
Expeditions, Muir expanded program offerings to increase participation and
solidified significant funding relationships with area foundations and federal
and state agencies (including securing one of the first organizational No Child
Left Inside grants from WA State Department of Recreation and Conservation).
“I could not be more excited to be joining this vibrant
community of sailors and paddlers here at Sail Sand Point,” Muir writes.
“Sail Sand Point is a vital community resource that provides equitable and
affordable access to one of Seattle’s most cherished spaces, the water.”
Muir will replace Mary Anne Ward who led the organization through
an extraordinary period of growth in her four years as Executive Director.
“It has been my incredible honor to lead Sail Sand Point as we continue to
remove barriers that have historically kept people off the water,” Ward
writes. “With programming nearly doubled and over 15,000 users last year,
it is clear the time has come to renovate our boathouse and increase our
facility space. I firmly believe that Seth brings with him the skills and
experience needed for Sail Sand Point’s success in this next phase of
development.”
Muir joins Sail Sand Point as they prepare for a major capital
campaign to expand classroom space and improve facilities. As Executive Director,
Muir will lead the organization through new strategic partnerships with local
government, businesses, and philanthropic individuals who share the
organization’s vision for accessible recreation on the lake.
“I’m inspired by the hard work and dedication
of Sail Sand Point’s community as they strive to make their mission a
reality,” Muir writes. “There’s a lot in store for Sail Sand Point
and I’m thrilled to be here to help make it happen.”
About Sail Sand Point
Sail Sand Point is a 501(c)3 non-profit located on the North Shore
of Magnuson Park with the mission of bringing the joy and life-enhancing
benefits of sailing and small boats to people of all ages, abilities, and
backgrounds. Sail Sand Point achieves its mission through a wide range of youth
camps, adult classes, adaptive watersports clinics, a robust community outreach
program, and a fully integrated scholarship program. With 1,051 outreach
participants, 458 hours of adaptive sailing, and $38,405 awarded in
scholarships last year, Sail Sand Point continues its strides in making sailing
and paddling accessible for all.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
Mary Anne Ward May be stepping down from the Executive Director post at Sail Sand Point (SSP), but not completely away.
“It’s time,” she explains. “I’ve done what the Board has asked me to do, and now there’s a need for a different skill set. What they need right now is a fundraiser. That’s not me.” She’ll remain on duty until a new executive director is found and stay involved moving forward.
Mary Anne Ward
The official announcement is reprinted at the end of this post. But I had a chance to talk to her a little bit on Monday outside in front of the offices with a nice northerly keeping the classes engaged as they headed out for the day.
The story of Sail Sand Point is truly amazing, under-appreciated by the public, city and, most surprisingly, the sailing community. As the amazing Sand Point Naval Air Station was dismantled and passed on to the city of Seattle in the late 1990s, Jon and Marcy Edwards got a hiking boot in the door at the little harbor at the north end of the facility. It was perfect. In addition to the harbor, there was a boat house, a huge tarmac formerly for seaplanes and enough shoreline to accommodate a lot of sailing. It’s only drawback, if it is one, is that it’s not highly visible from the roads or the rest of the park. The first director, Deb Sullivan, got things going. I was there and even worked with her some. Morgan Collins took over when Sullivan left and did a great job increasing the program’s access and community awareness.
Ward came to the job four years ago. “I was hired to develop and solidify the administrative sub-structure,” Ward says. That’s now done. She has also dramatically amped up community outreach and built partnerships with groups as diverse as veterans and disabled kids. She’s integrated the STEM curriculum and has brought regional US Sailing events to Sail Sand Point. The open boating (rental) fleet is huge, including sailboards, kayaks, SUPs plus a plethora of sailboats. There’s an 8-use rule for the dry storage renters, so all the boats in the yard are being used. At any given time in summer you’ll see outriggers, paddlers, swimmers and sailboats sharing the shoreline. Personally, I race there on Monday nights with my son in a low-key and very fun, non-scored all-fleet series. It’s free, user friendly and we have burgers in the parking lot afterward.
The boathouse pilings need replacement.
The next challenge is a big one. The boathouse that protects all the coach’s boats and much of SSP’s equipment is on shaky ground, literally. The pilings and some of the structure are rotting or inadequate. They’ve held up well considering they were built 80 years ago, but now it’s the time to fix the problem. In addition, the Parks Department would love to give a large brick building (used once upon a time for fuel storage) to SSP, but remodeling it would be up to SSP. It so happens that that kind of space is just what SSP needs. They need more classroom area – the programs are starved for that kind of space.
This deceptively large building may come SSP’s way, but will require remodeling.
“Four years ago we couldn’t imagine being in the position of seeking those kind of facility improvements,” Ward says. “My stepping down is really a sign of our success.” Nino Johnson, who’s been with SSP many times, will be taking over operations management so the new executive director can focus on fundraising.
There is no doubt that this facility is Seattle’s best chance at making sailing available to the larger community, and it deserves support.
If you or someone you know might be interested in applying for the executive director position, here’s the link: http://www.sailsandpoint.org/about-us/edapplication/ Let’s get someone committed to expanding SSP’s presence into that position.
As for Mary Anne Ward, she says she’ll be doing some traveling, including a river cruise in England with her four children. But she plans to remain in Seattle and help SSP as a volunteer “in whatever way they see fit.” And look for her sailing J/24s and Melges 24s.
The official announcement
Executive Director of Sail Sand Point Announces Plan to Step Down
Sail Sand Point, Seattle’s Community Boating Center, located in Magnuson Park on Lake Washington, announced today that Mary Anne Ward will be stepping down as Executive Director in March. Mary Anne joined Sail Sand Point four years ago and has led the organization through a period of extraordinary growth.
Mary Anne came to Sail Sand Point from the Chicago Match Race Center where she ran such events as the World Match Racing Tour and worked with the Louis Vuitton World Tour. Prior to that, she raced sailboats competitively and saw first-hand how sailing and being on the water changes lives. In 1994 she started an education company which provided K-3rd grade education at parents’ workplaces. With this blend of education and sailing experience Mary Anne has led SSP to where it is today.
“It has been my incredible honor to lead Sail Sand Point for the last four years. Removing traditional barriers to the underserved communities of Seattle as well as teaching youth and adults the joy of being on the water has been wonderful. Programming has nearly doubled with over 11,000 users last year, we have developed a fully integrated adaptive program and participation in camps and classes is at an all time high. With growth like this it is clear that we need to renovate our boathouse and increase our facility space”, said Ward. “Although I do not have the experience to lead Sail Sand Point through the next phase of development I look forward to offering my full support as an ambassador to the organization.”
Andy MacDonald, President of Sail Sand Point’s Board of Directors, said, “Sail Sand Point has been very lucky to have someone as passionate and dedicated to our mission as Mary Anne. She has led the development of a strong team of managers, staff and volunteer board members who are prepared to work together with the new Executive Director to ensure SSP continues to thrive long into the future.”
Sail Sand Point will begin the search for new leadership this summer. The next Executive Director will guide SSP through its next phase of growth, including a major capital campaign to expand classroom space and improve the facility. The role will entail creating strategic partnerships with local government, businesses, and philanthropic individuals and organizations while maintaining a steadfast desire to fulfill our mission. More information is available at our website.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
Isn’t it great when sailing groups work together? The various sailing programs around the Salish Sea are generally pretty busy these days, but that’s no time to stop promoting.
Visitors can go for a sail, enjoy a free barbecue and find out about our great sport. There’s a great bonus, high schoolers are having a team race regatta, and if you haven’t seen the high school sailing scene, or if you haven’t seen team racing, it’s all very inspiring and fun to watch.
Here’s the thing, LET OTHERS KNOW! If you’re reading this, you may already have your kid dialed in. We need to spread the word further, please let your non-sailing friends know about this. You know – the ones who’ve seen your eyes light up while you talk about sailing.
Here are some of the details courtesy of Andrew Nelson of The Sailing Foundation:
Think of this as Opening Day for the small boaters. Our goal is to get people out on the water, including those who might have never tried sailing before. Big thanks to the NMTA for again providing a grant for this event.
There will be one central check-in/information area where we’ll let area sailing programs display brochures and other materials. We will be offering lots of fun activities and a free BBQ once again. This event also coincides with the HS team race championships, so there will be lots happening on the water and plenty of good spectating.
Provided activities include…
FREE BBQ
Boat Rides (Boats provided by SSP)
Jr. Sailing Info Table
High School Sailing Spectating
Giant jenga
Corn Hole
Ladder Golf
Block and Tackle Tug of War
Arts and Crafts
Junior Sailing Info Sessions
Last year we had about 200 members of the community come down for the event.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
Last weekend, unknown to many local sailors, a major championship was occurring at Sail Sand Point in Seattle. The US Sailing Junior Women’s Championship (Leiter Cup) was sailed in picture perfect conditions over four days. Twenty-eight young women from all over the country turned up, but it was area sailor Talia Toland that ended up on top.
All photos by Jan Anderson
Traffic
Rounding
Can’t beat this.
Toland at the weather mark.
Toland earned the victory, having sailed several years in Lasers on the growing and very competitive Northwest Youth Circuit. A quick look at her results over the last few years show a steady progression through the ranks. And while second place went to Kiera O’Reardon of Houston Yacht Club, third went to up-and-coming local Abbie Carlson from the Seattle Yacht Club.
The biggest winners were the Pacific Northwest racing community and Sail Sand Point. “US Sailing was skeptical that we could pull this off,” explained SSP Executive Director Mary Anne Ward. “They wanted four separate rooms for videos and a full kitchen and a few other things that we just don’t have.” But in the end, it went off without a hitch, thanks in large part to virtually perfect winds, northerlies first, followed by southerlies and then ending on northerlies. Ten races were completed.
“US Sailing is already talking to us about hosting more events,” Ward said.
The US sailing recap of the event can be read at the end of this post. More of Jan Anderson’s photos can be found here, and results can be found here.
Our Olympian Helena
Of course many of the young women sailing last weekend dream of going to the Olympics. Well, one of “ours” is there right now. Helena Scutt is crew on the 29erfx, a very high performance skiff class for women.
Helena Scutt
She and skipper Paris Henken are in Rio right now. I hope to have some tidbits from Helena to share with you, and will convey them as soon as I can. In the meantime, here is a video interview of Scutt and Henken when they secured the Olympic spot.
Talia Toland Wins U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehandeds
Published on July 31st, 2016
A fleet of 28 Laser Radials competed at the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship, held July 29-31 on Lake Washington in Seattle, WA. In the end, it was Washington native, Talia Toland (Kirkland, Wash.), who ran away with the title in her home state.
Toland enjoyed a three point lead over Kiera O’Reardon (Houston, Texas) through eight races entering Sunday’s final two races. With the Nancy Leiter Clagett Memorial Trophy on the line and two 50-minute races to go, Toland won her third race of the Championship in Race 9 and gained two more points on O’Reardon, who placed third.
In the 10th and final race, Toland ensured O’Reardon did not catch her in the standings by finishing three places ahead of her (14th to 17th) to win the Leiter Trophy.
“This is my third year sailing at the Leiter Trophy and it’s great to finally put it all together in my home venue,” said Toland. “It was kind of cool that we had different wind direction every day of the regatta. I stayed in the pressure and stayed pointing towards the mark and kept a cool head in the shifty conditions, which helped a lot when you patience. I had a chance to work with all the coaches, which is really great. It’s cool to see how I’ve developed from year to year at this event.”
Toland placed third at this Championship last year and sixth in 2014.
The top six boats qualified for early acceptance to the 2017 U.S. Youth Sailing Championships – a qualifier for the 2017 ISAF Youth World Championships in Israel.
This Championship was preceded by two days of clinics featuring a collection the country’s top coaches. The clinics were led by Richard Feeny, US Sailing Junior National Coach.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.
