The 2020 season was shaping up nicely with boat preps, but the whole Covid 19 situation has really messed up the sailing schedule. The 2020 Season schedule has been updated and is covered at the bottom of this post.

In this post:

• Thanks to those who helped Spring Preps!
• Launch & Delivery to Newport Complete
• Sailing on hold through end of May
• Update Availability for Revised Schedule

Thanks to those who helped with Spring Preps 

First and foremost, I’d like to thank those who helped with the early spring boat preparation tasks.  Vento Solare was ready to launch in early April and finally splashed at Borden Light Marina on April 6th.  She was the first sailboat at BLM launched for the 2020 season. 

Vento Solare in Sling being Launched

Once launched, many of the tasks to prepare for sailing were performed at the dock including rig adjustment, installing running rigging, and other tasks.  Boat cleaning inside was done with buckets of water carried since there is no water on the dock. One significant upgrade is a remote reading digital thermometer for the chillbox to make sure that beer is always at the correct temperature!

Bill Social Distancing with Vento Solare at the BLM Slip in the background

Launch & Delivery to Newport Complete

On April 16th, Pat Tormey helped sail Vento Solare from Borden Light Marina down the bay on a chilly afternoon with winds ranging from 2 to 20 kts.  The wind gods provided great conditions for a starboard tack cruise all the way! The cruising jib and 3Di main were perfect sails for the day.

Pat at Helm – Past Mt. Hope Bridge headed to Newport

Once at the Navy Marina, Vento Solare was tied up for more cleanup and what was going to be some early season sailing, but a few hours later……

Sailing on hold through end of May

The following email was sent to all Navy Marina patrons announcing that the marina is closed until 1 June.

Marina Patrons,

“The beginning of NAVSTA Newport’s summer boating season is delayed one month, until 01JUN, in order to best align local resources with DoD priorities during the coronavirus response. Until opening, the NAVSTA Newport Marina and all marina facilities will remain closed, including the boat ramp. Berthing and boating are not permitted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website (www.cdc.gov) provides information to slow the spread of COVID-19 and many states, including Rhode Island and Massachusetts, have implemented travel restrictions. For recreational boat owners whose vessel has been moored at the marina through the off-season months and is still currently at the marina: owners may still come and check on their boats, but we ask that you closely follow the guidance provided by state officials and health authorities to slow the spread of COVID-19. Boats currently in the marina may not be used for recreational activities, and no work on the boats is authorized. We will be refunding a pro-rated amount to all impacted patrons. We apologize for the inconvenience, and will continue to communicate if further delays become necessary. Exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Mike Silvia if you have any questions.”

v/r

Dean Weidman MWR Director, NAVSTA Newport

This means that all of the events and practices scheduled through the end of May are canceled. I’ll have limited boat access to check on it.  As a result, the crew schedule is being amended.

Update Availability for Revised Schedule

The early season planned schedule was completely preempted by the Covid 19 situation. There are no planned sailing events now until 1 June, unless the policy by MWR is changed. As a result, the 2020 Vento Solare schedule has been updated.  All crew members – please update your availability for the events from 1 June through the rest of the season – (use this link).  Below is the updated schedule including some new practice dates and some additional races to replace cancelled events.