Register for the Pink Boat Regatta (8/30 - Bellingham, 9/13 - Seattle) supporting Breast Cancer Research

This September, sailors from around the Puget Sound will be coming together in Seattle and Bellingham, for a fun-filled and competitive day on the water to support breast cancer research and prevention through sailing. In 2014, we donated an unprecedented $68,837 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation with a goal for 2015 of $100,000! This is a unique event in that every $100 raised towards a participating boat constitutes a “buoy” on race day, so more contributions mean a better chance at winning the regatta. We are seeking donations for our raffle and silent auctions to aid in this effort on race day.

100% of all proceeds will go directly to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, who in 2014-2015 will award $47 million in annual grants to 222 scientists from top universities and medical institutions around the globe with an additional $11.6 million has been committed to the international Founder’s Fund project focused on metastasis.  These proceeds includes entry fees, participant fundraising efforts, cash donations and sponsorships, and donations from local businesses such as yours. In its 4th year, this event typically draws 50 boats and several hundred participants, spectators, and survivors.

Donors are recognized before, during and after race day via local advertisements, at the awards party, communications in local and regional news sources such as the Ballard News Tribune, 48 North, and Northwest Yachting, and on The Pink Boat Regatta website (www.pinkboatregatta.org.) 

Will you join us? We appreciate your time and consideration, and hope you’ll join us in helping advance efforts in breast cancer research and prevention.
Interested in hosting a Pink Boat Regatta® at your local yacht club? Let us know! 

Aside from the regatta itself the events in Seattle include the option of joining a spectator boat, the Steamship Virginia V, on race day, or attending an exclusive celebration dinner September 12th on the Virginia V dockside which will feature several esteemed speakers/special guests from BCRF, SCCA, and UW.

Questions?
Ashley Bell, President
(206) 473-1905
info@pinkboatregatta.com

America's Cup Tour coming to the Pacific Northwest Aug. 9 - 23

IN THE BEGINNING

In 1851 a radical looking schooner ghosted out of the afternoon mist and swiftly sailed past the Royal Yacht stationed in the Solent, between the Isle of Wight and the south coast of England, on an afternoon when Queen Victoria was watching a sailing race.

As the schooner, named America, passed the Royal Yacht in first position, and saluted by dipping its ensign three times, Queen Victoria asked one of her attendants to tell her who was in second place. ”Your Majesty, there is no second,” came the reply. That phrase, just four words, is still the best description of the America’s Cup, and how it represents the singular pursuit of excellence.

Troy Sears will take the modern replica of the world’s most famous racing yacht, America, to sailing communities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. This will give sailing fans of all ages a chance to sail back in time aboard a painstaking replica of the original "America," which in 1851 stunned the world by winning the legendary sailing race around the Isle of Wight and won the trophy that now bears her name, the America’s Cup!

The tour launched in July 2015 out of San Diego, California, and the yacht America will embark on a North American voyage, serving as an official ambassador of the America’s Cup.

The America’s Cup Tour in the Pacific Northwest

The 1851 replica schooner, America, will be visiting many ports in the Pacific Northwest on its 2015 leg of the America’s Cup Tour. Troy Sears, owner and skipper of America, says “This opportunity is about more than engaging the yachting community in discussions about the current state of America’s Cup racing. It’s also about generating greater interest and awareness among today’s youth. We’re looking forward to welcoming young minds aboard America to explore the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM disciplines) that have always been an integral part of America’s Cup racing.”

Scheduled ports for Tour visits in the Pacific Northwest are:

Aug 9 – Port Townsend, Northwest Maritime Center

    12PM – America’s Cup presentation

    1PM to 3PM – Dockside Tours of America

    4PM – Sail Aboard America

Aug 14 – Port of Everett / Everett YC

    1PM to 3PM – Dockside Tours of America

    4PM – Sail Aboard America

    7:30PM – America’s Cup presentation (Everett YC)

Aug 15-16 – Seattle, Bell Harbor / Corinthian YC

    11AM to 2PM – Dockside Tours of America (Both Days)

    Saturday, Aug 15

    1PM – America’s Cup presentation (Corinthian YC)

    5PM – Sail Aboard America

    Sunday, Aug 16

    3PM – Sail Aboard America

    TBD – America’s Cup presentation

Aug 17 – Seattle, South Lake Union – North Wall

    12PM to 3PM – Dockside Tours of America

    5:30PM – Sail Aboard America

    8:30PM – America’s Cup presentation (Center for Wooden Boats)

Aug 18 – Seattle, Sail Sand Point

    12PM – Junior Sailors Talk & Tour on America

    1PM to 3PM – Dockside Tours of America

    4PM – Sail Aboard America

    7PM – America’s Cup presentation (potluck dinner during presentation)

Aug 19 – Port of Brownsville, Kipsat Maritime & Heritage Center

    1PM to 3PM – Dockside Tours of America

    4:30PM – Sail Aboard America (2 hr. sail)

    7PM – America’s Cup presentation (Brownsville YC)

Aug 20-23 – Tacoma, Foss Waterway Seaport / Tacoma YC

    Thursday, Aug 20

    6PM – America’s Cup presentation (Tacoma YC) $5 donation to Jr. Sailors

   

    Friday & Saturday, Aug 21 & 22

    10AM to 12PM – Dockside Tours of America

    1PM – Sail Aboard America

    5PM – Sail Aboard America

    8PM – America’s Cup presentation (Seaport Museum)

    Sunday, Aug 23

    10AM to 12PM – Dockside Tours

    1PM – Sail Aboard America

Events will take place at public docks, maritime centers, community sailing associations, and yacht clubs in each port and will include dockside walk aboard tours of America, special junior sailor talks & tours, a multimedia presentation on the America’s Cup, and sails aboard America. All events are open to the public, except some yacht club events. Look for further announcements and information from media and organizations in your area. Tickets for the sails aboard America in all areas will be available online at www.zerve.com/nxtLevelSail.

For further information and details regarding the America’s Cup Tour please contact:

America’s Cup Tour
Yacht Club & Public Events
John Berry
j.berry@enterramediagroup.com

View this Press Release HERE

Q2 Boat Sales Data Available Now

Quarter 2 Boat Sales Data is now available on the NMTA website. Combined new and used boat sales were up 9.6 percent in units and 15.6 percent in dollars over 2014 Quarter 2. New Boat Sales were up 20.4 percent in units and used boat sales were up 8 percent in units, according to Washington Sea Grant. 

Register now for the NMTA Golf Tournament, Aug. 31

The NMTA Golf Tournament is coming up this month on August 31. Register now by filling out this form for yourself and your team (if applicable). The NMTA Golf Tournament is an annual event for member networking. Sponsorship supports NMTA’s Political Action Committee. Your registration includes 18 Holes of Golf, Golf Cart, Lunch and Tee prizes. 

Northwest Salmon Derby Series in Full Swing

As the calendar rolled over into July, so did the parade of salmon derbies throughout Puget Sound for the next three months as the Northwest Salmon Derby Series moved into high gear. I recall a story in The Seattle Times regarding salmon derbies, written by Mark Yuasa back in 2007, capturing the history of these kind of fishing tournaments. According to his writing, the first big salmon derby started with the Ben Paris Salmon Derby held on the Seattle waterfront, beginning in the early 1930s. Thousands of dollars in cash, new cars, and the salmon derby meant "game on". Overwhelmingly, anglers enjoy salmon derbies, just ask the nearly 7,000 anglers who participated in the 2014 Northwest Salmon Derby Series tournaments.

It’s a fishing game of chance, similar to making a trip to Vegas. Here is how it works: anglers have the opportunity to purchase a salmon derby ticket for one of the 9 remaining tournaments in the Series over the next three months for a chance to win the event by catching the largest Chinook or coho salmon. The full schedule is available at www.NorthwestSalmonDerbySeries.com. Fishermen, fishermwomen, and their kids come to these events, entering the game for the potential of pocketing thousands of dollars, along with hooking up with fishing friends, and possibly winning tons of prizes provided by each derby. The Northwest Salmon Derby Series was conceived by the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA) late in 2003 as a promotion to encourage boating and fishing in the Northwest. The Series kicked off in 2004, partnering with six existing salmon derbies. Stabicraft Boat Company, Suzuki Marine and EZ Loader trailers partnered with the Series by donating a boat package, which included Lowrance Electronics and Scotty Downriggers. Three anglers fishing together won the first grand prize boat by participating in the Gig Harbor Salmon Derby in the inaugural year of the Series. The Derby Series is all about angler participation, and not about catching fish. In fact, it does not make any difference if the winner of the grand prize boat catches any salmon during the tournament they entered.

Since 2004, NMTA has given away 11 fully-rigged grand prize fishing boats with a combined value of over $500,000. Additionally, NMTA has also given away three 14-foot aluminum kids division fishing boats that include an outboard motor and trailer. This year’s grand prize boat is a 21-foot hard top Hewescraft, with Mercury outboard power including a trolling motor, Lowrance Electronics, Scotty Downriggers and an EZ Loader tandem axle galvanized trailer that will push that total dollar number closer to $600,000 over 12 years. This year’s grand prize boat will be awarded to one lucky angler in a raffle drawing at the Everett Coho Derby. All 12 boats, motors, trailers and equipment are donated to NMTA from the manufacturers to help promote the Derby Series through partnering sponsorships. Again, the promotion is all about encouraging anglers to go boating and fishing.

“The Northwest Salmon Derby Series has been a huge success and one of our best promotions in the 68-year history of the NMTA,” said George Harris, president of the association. The NMTA produces the Seattle Boat Show, the biggest boat show on the West Coast that draws nearly 60,000 people every year.

“I am equally proud that all of the tournaments target only hatchery-produced Chinook salmon, which is good for our industry and the resource,” Harris added.

Harris also noted that the series is looking to expand into eastern Washington in 2016. While considering the history of salmon derbies, particularly tournaments that focus on Chinook salmon, several of these annual events nearly evaporated when four stocks of Puget Sound wild Chinook salmon were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act back in the late 90s. After several years of scientific and political debate, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and most western Washington treaty tribes began clipping the adipose fin (small fatty fin on the back of a salmon between the dorsal fin and the tail) on hatchery-produced coho and Chinook salmon to help identify these fish as hatchery fish. As these “marked” salmon came back as adults, in many cases anglers would be required to release un-marked fish while being allowed to retain hatchery fish, due to conservation concerns by fisheries managers. As a result, salmon derbies began to grow and flourish - especially during the last 10 years.

The first three Saturdays in August feature three long-standing salmon derbies beginning with the South King County PSA Salmon Derby (Aug. 1), followed by the Gig Harbor Salmon Derby (Aug. 8) and the All South Sound Salmon Derby in Olympia (Aug. 15). All of these tournaments are based on the availability and opportunity to catch hatchery-produced Chinook salmon. The summer salmon derby season concludes with the Willapa Bay Salmon Derby in Tokeland (Sept. 5), the Columbia River Fall Salmon Derby in Woodland (Sept. 6), the Edmonds Coho Derby (Sept. 12) and the grand-daddy of the Series, the Everett Coho Derby (Sept. 19-20). The grand prize Hewescraft boat winner will be drawn on Sunday afternoon during the awards ceremony in Everett. For detailed information on all of these derbies in the Series, visit the Derby Series website.

“We are looking forward to a great summer salmon fishing season and being on the road to promote sport fishing in this region of the country,” Harris said. “Washington sales data shows fishing boats are the most popular kind of boat being sold in the Northwest and we’re excited about making one lucky angler very happy with this year’s grand prize boat.”

View the original article published in July 2015 edition of The Reel News HERE.