Courtesy of Dil Spitz http://www.flickr.com/groups/solstice-challenge_regatta_2012/
Woots! The Sail4Life Solstice Challenge Regatta is on a roll! Let me highlight a few people and places working to make this a great event.
Dil Spitz
As you can see from the opening shot above, Dil Spitz is onboard as the Solstice Photographer!! If you hang around digital boats much, you know that Dil’s images of SL are truly legendary; for years they’ve captured the heart and soul of SLSailing. A year from now we won’t remember anybody’s race times or penalty calls… but guaranteed, we’ll still be thinking about — and posting — the wondrous images from Dil’s Flikr groups. 🙂
There were over 2,300 incredible images of people and race boats posted during ONE WORLD, and nearly as many for the 2009 J-CLASSIC. So please welcome Dil aboard, and say ‘cheese’ when her lens turns your way. 🙂
Momomos Netizen
Momomos is a great sailor and super person; he led the TYC team in the Finals Regatta for ONE WORLD in 2010! (Woots!) He can’t sail SOLSTICE this year, but I want to give Momomos a huge shout-out for his help with spectators. In past events we’ve had 40-60 spectators watching races, and no surprise they tend to stress out the racing sims. Momomos has been wonderful, repeatedly planning ideal spots to rez spectator blimps along race routes and helping arrange for quick teleports so sports fans can follow the action as it happens. 🙂
Momomos is onboard again this year for SOLSTICE, so everybody will have the best seat in the house to follow the races!
Qualifying Hosts
There are four clubs/estates setting up for the qualifying races on June 23; each will host a different timeslot. Please give a big WOOT to North Sea/EBYC, Triumphal, Tradewinds, and Nantucket YC-SL. Thank you to each one for their generosity and support of Sail4Life!!
Each club will be in charge of their own timeslot event, but Kentrock and Armano will coordinate things to ensure they all fit the SOLSTICE guidelines. We will get the competition fleet maps and details for all the qualifying events posted at least a week prior to the sail date!
Elbag Gable kicks it off
OK, huge Kudos to Elbag, Eden, North Sea and Fruit Islands! Hannelore Ballinger’s coordinating with Elbag Gable and Brenda Hoisin to host the SAILSTICE CHALLENGE Opening Party on Friday, June 22 3:00-6:00pm SLT.
The event is still getting planned, but it looks pretty incredible! It’s Solstice sailing themed, and Second Life’s ABBA will play live; Elbag also promises an incredible fireworks display to welcome the race fleet and officially open the Regatta. He plans to start summer sailing off with a BANG!! WOOTS!
I’ll get you details for the race fleet and the Finals next time, but let me add our race team list is filling up fast; there are only a few slots left! This is to support S4L though, so if you want to sail we’ll do our best to fit you in. (Remember, due to the incredible generosity of the sail community, each team that sails will trigger a donation of nearly $20,000L to Relay For Life!!!).
So if you want to compete, add your name to the list here, and the Race Committee will get you going with everything you need. 🙂 This should be a great regatta… full of friends, fun, and summer. So come join us, whether you want to join a race team or just have fun cheering them on, shoreside!
Metaverse Sailing 