Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Today here in the program, we're introducing you to summer Salstice. Coming in Quincy for the third year in a row. Quincy Bay Race Week association is putting this together on June 21st, playing off the summer solstice. And Lionel Andre and Frank Hart are here to tell us all about it. Guys, welcome. Thanks for coming over.
[00:00:18] Speaker B: Thanks for having us.
[00:00:19] Speaker C: Good to be here.
[00:00:20] Speaker A: Pleasure. Pleasure. Frank. Folks may be aware of your name, longtime volunteer member here at qatv. So we thank you for that. You are in front of the camera for a change.
[00:00:29] Speaker C: Yeah, well, other than when I'm doing my own show, but yeah.
[00:00:33] Speaker A: And Lionel, welcome for the first time.
[00:00:34] Speaker B: Yeah, thank you for having me. Very exciting.
[00:00:36] Speaker A: Yeah. Member of the Wollaston Yacht Club. Yes, correct. Okay. What is summer salestice, Lionel, and why are you putting this together in Quincy?
[00:00:45] Speaker B: So good. Summer Solstice is a very small organization that punches well above its weight. It started in 2001, if memory serves me right, was somebody had the great idea of promoting sailing and to do it on the longest Saturday of the year, the solstice.
Well, the solstice this year they happened the same day, which is fantastic. Oh, last year they weren't. It's usually held on a Saturday. Okay. We learned about this. I forgot how three years ago now. And when I saw this online, I thought, that's a great idea. So look it up. Looked it up, looked up into it a little bit.
And it grew and grew over the years. It grew. It's now a really very big organization. They have 19, 20 ish thousand sailors that take part in December sales. This around the world.
[00:01:36] Speaker A: All on the same day.
[00:01:37] Speaker B: All on the same day. The goal is to put as many sailboats underwater as possible.
[00:01:41] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:01:43] Speaker B: I've told people, you've heard me say this. Get your boat off the hook, right? Get your boat off that mooring ball. Go sail.
[00:01:50] Speaker A: It's not doing any good sitting there.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: It's not doing any good sitting there. So my goal is to see as many boats on the water on that day in Quincy Bay. So we've organized this and like I said, they're worldwide. They're worldwide organization.
However, we. The summer sales disc that Quincy Bay Race Week organizes is the only registered event with the summer solstice in all.
[00:02:12] Speaker A: Of New England, which is amazing.
[00:02:13] Speaker B: It's very cool.
[00:02:14] Speaker A: New England's such a sailing community.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: We're such a sailing community. We have what, 27 something miles of.
[00:02:20] Speaker A: Shoreline just in Quincy.
[00:02:22] Speaker B: Just in Quincy. So it's a lot of. There's a lot of sailors and we had a pretty good participation last year. We, we're hoping for a lot more this year and it's going to be, it's a really fun, fun, fun, fun event.
[00:02:34] Speaker A: So how is summer sales just different than Quincy Bay Race Week association in July?
[00:02:43] Speaker B: So we're the summer sales this in June is run exclusively on big boats.
[00:02:49] Speaker A: Big boats.
[00:02:50] Speaker B: Big boats. Right.
[00:02:51] Speaker A: Which is, what does that mean?
[00:02:54] Speaker B: The smallest boat right now we have registered is about, I think 28ft. Okay. We have a 43 footer that's joining us. Yes, I have mine minus 35ft.
And it's a pursuit. So most. The Quincy Bay Race Week association during the week, during the, in July is small, small boys, 4.2 meters at the most for the, for the juniors. And they race what's called, you know, regattas. They go up and down and run buoys and they do like five, six, seven a day. This is a one race, one race. Not friendly race, friendly race event that goes around Pedex Allen. Basically we started out of Wollaston and it's called the pursuit. So the slowest boat starts first.
[00:03:40] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:03:40] Speaker B: The fastest boat starts last.
[00:03:42] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:03:43] Speaker B: And the goal is who finishes first.
So as opposed to most races where everybody starts at the same time here, because they're all different kinds of boats. You have just like in golf, we have handicaps. I see the sort of slowest boats start first and we're chasing them down and we'll see who finishes first.
[00:04:01] Speaker A: But do they all start at the same time? No, oh no.
[00:04:03] Speaker B: Every boat has its assigned start time.
So we have boats coming in over from Seven Hill Yacht Club. They're coming in with their Thunderbirds, which are really, really good boats that are usually very well sailed.
[00:04:14] Speaker C: They sell them well and sell them fast.
[00:04:16] Speaker B: You sell them well, sell them fast.
[00:04:19] Speaker C: Is this going to be a spinnaker?
[00:04:21] Speaker B: Both there's spin, there's spin class and.
[00:04:23] Speaker A: Non spin sailing terms. You so spinnaker is the big, big.
[00:04:28] Speaker B: Big sail that you see usually very colorful sail that you see on the front of a boat. When they go downwind, you can, you can see them.
[00:04:35] Speaker A: It really blows out. Yeah, right.
[00:04:36] Speaker B: It really billows out and pushes the boat downwind to go faster. Yeah, It's a big advantage.
[00:04:42] Speaker C: The idea on these pursuit races, Joe, is everybody starts at a different time.
[00:04:46] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:04:47] Speaker C: But everybody's supposed to finish at the same time.
[00:04:49] Speaker A: Oh, okay.
[00:04:50] Speaker C: So you get this. So when you finish, you know your position, you don't have to wait for your time to be corrected. And this is PHRF Formula which stands for Performance Handicap Racing Fleet.
[00:05:03] Speaker A: Oh, okay.
[00:05:04] Speaker C: Thanks. I looked it up a couple of.
[00:05:05] Speaker B: Times and it's actually based. PHRF is based off of one of the America's cup syndicate boats.
[00:05:12] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:05:13] Speaker B: And it's. It's pretty simple this. They measured how they calculated how much time it take took to cover a mile. And every boat is handicapped off of that.
[00:05:22] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:05:23] Speaker B: So it's a per second per mile that you're slower than that boat.
[00:05:26] Speaker A: I see. Nautical mile, right?
[00:05:28] Speaker B: Nautical miles, yes.
[00:05:30] Speaker C: And surprisingly enough, usually these handicaps are positive. But some of these boats have gotten so fast they now have negative handicaps.
So they have to have time added to their elapsed time for the race to bring them into the same formula as all the other boats. So some of these new boats are that fast.
[00:05:52] Speaker B: Wouldn't mind sitting on one of those boats.
[00:05:54] Speaker C: Wouldn't that be nice?
[00:05:54] Speaker B: I'm faster than the America's cup boat. Let's go.
[00:05:58] Speaker C: I just remember sailing out in the harbor one day and it was between like Georges and Lovells out in that area and the America's cupboard. So this was in the early 80s, the old 12 meters. And I saw them out racing, practicing. They were practicing in Boston. They were quite a ways away and I was moving along in my 24 footer and they went by me like I was going backwards.
[00:06:24] Speaker A: I don't think people realized they were not fast of the wind, right?
[00:06:28] Speaker B: No, people don't realize. And now the modern boats, this isn't what, you know, not December sales is, but if you look at the America's cup that was run last year in Barcelona, the boats actually go faster than the wind downwind.
My mind still trying to wrap itself around it, but it's.
[00:06:46] Speaker A: They're specifically engineered for that purpose.
[00:06:49] Speaker C: Definitely.
[00:06:50] Speaker A: And it takes quite a crew and an expert maneuvering to operate that vessel, I'm sure.
[00:06:56] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:06:56] Speaker C: So we'll let you get back to your interview, sir. Hijacked.
[00:07:00] Speaker A: I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves.
[00:07:02] Speaker B: We'll talk about sailing all day long, but go ahead.
[00:07:05] Speaker C: And they never shut up.
[00:07:07] Speaker A: Who can participate in summer sales to us here in Quincy? And how do they do that?
[00:07:12] Speaker B: Anybody? Anybody. If even. I mean, if you have a boat, preferably.
But if you don't have a boat, find somebody who has a boat. We'll take you on.
Do you register on. There's a website called Vocaban.
So you go on regard. You can register your boat. It's a 15 entry.
And all the proceeds will go to Quincy Bay Race Week association to Promote junior sailing.
[00:07:35] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:07:36] Speaker B: So anybody can enter.
You know, there's always a boat looking for a crew. If you're just. If you're a complete novice, you're welcome to do it.
[00:07:45] Speaker A: Okay. Now we say anybody I know Quincy Bay Race week specifically has age groups.
[00:07:50] Speaker B: Right.
[00:07:51] Speaker A: Does summer sales nest have the same or no?
[00:07:54] Speaker B: Okay, but that's an outstanding question.
This year we're introducing a recommendation. We'll make it. Probably make it a rule next year to have at least one junior on every boat.
[00:08:06] Speaker A: Oh, interesting.
[00:08:06] Speaker B: So we're asking you to do this. And this year it could get interesting. We have a boat that will be crewed by the Q and Q Sailing team. Quincy North Quincy sailing team will be crewing a boat.
[00:08:21] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:22] Speaker B: And their coach, Jillian will be sailing on her dad's boat.
[00:08:26] Speaker C: Oh, okay.
[00:08:27] Speaker A: So the kids are racing against the coach.
[00:08:29] Speaker B: Kids are racing on one boat, the coach on another boat.
[00:08:32] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:08:33] Speaker B: It is going to be competitive.
So that could get really interesting.
[00:08:39] Speaker A: All right.
[00:08:39] Speaker B: Okay. That's the end. Again, our goal, our objective with this event is to promote sailing, but to encourage junior sailing. Yeah, this is really for. We're really doing this for the kids.
[00:08:51] Speaker A: So I know you say it's not a race, it's not competitive, but are there prizes?
[00:08:57] Speaker B: Yeah, there's going to be. So at the end of Quincy Bay Race Week in July, there'll be an award ceremony. There'll be prizes for the winner.
We are working right now on locating a historic trophy to hand out to the.
To the winner as a. Oh, yeah.
[00:09:17] Speaker C: This is the Frank Eremick.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: Yes, the Remick.
[00:09:19] Speaker C: This is the Remick's family from Quincy donated a trophy a long time ago.
The last time that we can find that it was awarded was in the early 80s.
[00:09:29] Speaker A: Is that right?
[00:09:30] Speaker C: So there hasn't been any. And it's for larger boats. So there hasn't been any, you know, PHRF, larger boat type racing since the early 80s. I see with Quincy Bay race week. So we're.
[00:09:41] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:09:41] Speaker B: So this is the goal is to hand it to the winner of summer sales discs of the summer sales disc.
[00:09:46] Speaker A: After the end of the race week event.
[00:09:47] Speaker B: At the end of the race week event.
[00:09:50] Speaker A: So back to summer sales discs again. It's Saturday, June 21st.
The first gun goes off at noon. Starts and finishes at Wollaston Yacht Club.
[00:09:59] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: Where does the race go?
[00:10:02] Speaker B: So we're starting outside Wollaston Yacht Club.
When you drive down Quincy Shore Drive, you see all the boats there.
We're starting somewhere from there. Our friends, the Marcels will run the race committee.
They'll set up the start line in that vicinity.
The goal is to sail from there through what we call both guts.
The Westgut, which is outside of Nut island. The bridge where a lot of people go fishing. So we'll sail there and we'll sail around Peddx island, through Holgott, along George's island, almost all the way to the tip of Long island and all the way back.
[00:10:40] Speaker A: That is a very long route.
[00:10:41] Speaker B: It's about 10 miles.
[00:10:42] Speaker A: 10 miles.
[00:10:42] Speaker B: It's about 10 miles. And if you sail well and according to your rating, you should be done about two to two and a half hours.
[00:10:49] Speaker A: Really? Okay.
[00:10:49] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:10:50] Speaker A: All right. So it's just. This is just a one time event.
[00:10:52] Speaker B: Just a one lap event.
[00:10:53] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:10:54] Speaker B: And then after that we, you know, we have a little get together planned at Lawson Yacht Club. They've agreed to, to host us afterwards for, you know, for to catch up and chat and do what sailors do.
[00:11:06] Speaker A: And complain about festivities.
[00:11:08] Speaker B: Festivities?
[00:11:09] Speaker A: Yes, and telling tall tales.
[00:11:10] Speaker B: Telling tall tales and arguing about who really won.
[00:11:15] Speaker A: I'm assuming both of you are participating.
[00:11:18] Speaker C: Well, I'm supposed to ride with Lionel.
[00:11:21] Speaker B: You can join me.
[00:11:21] Speaker A: So you're a crew, Frank?
[00:11:22] Speaker C: I'm a cruise now.
[00:11:24] Speaker B: Yeah. So it'll be you, me and Q. And Q sailing team. Dell drive Deldra. They'll be racing my bow.
[00:11:29] Speaker A: Oh, very good.
What's the name of your boat?
[00:11:32] Speaker B: Cat's Paw.
[00:11:33] Speaker A: What is it?
[00:11:33] Speaker B: Catspaw.
[00:11:34] Speaker A: The cat's paw.
[00:11:35] Speaker B: Yeah. Which is a nautical term when, when you see the bay, you know the Quincy Bay in the morning, it's really, really flat. Every once in a while you'll see those little wrinkles on the surface of the water. That's the catspaw. That's the little puffs of wind that you can go and chase when you're sailing in low wind conditions.
[00:11:51] Speaker A: Interesting.
[00:11:52] Speaker C: Which is exactly what the bay looked like when I drove by today.
[00:11:55] Speaker A: Is that right?
[00:11:56] Speaker C: No wind and just a few cats pole out there.
[00:11:58] Speaker A: Okay. Which I guess is not ideal for sailing, right?
[00:12:03] Speaker B: No, it's not.
[00:12:04] Speaker A: So this is just. No, motorized.
Strictly sailboats.
[00:12:09] Speaker B: Strictly sailboats. Okay. We do encourage people with motorboats to join us.
[00:12:13] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:12:13] Speaker B: To come and watch us and, and take pictures and you know, and join us. I mean it is celebration of sailing. Yes, but also being underwater.
[00:12:22] Speaker A: Yeah. How many boats do you know be participating right now?
[00:12:26] Speaker B: I'm expecting somewhere between 12, 15.
Hoping 20. 20 would be ideal.
[00:12:32] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:12:33] Speaker B: We're slowly growing. The first year we had four. Last year we had Seven.
I'm hoping to get more this year and keep it growing.
[00:12:41] Speaker A: Okay. All right. And they come from all over.
[00:12:43] Speaker B: They come from all over. They come from Seven hills. So this year we have Seven hills said they were coming. So with their Thunderbirds, we have a couple of boys from Welliston, we have one from Squantum, we have one from Quincy Yacht Club and we have at least two currently from Westagasset.
[00:13:00] Speaker A: Okay. All right. And I'm assuming a lot of folks participate in both events, right? Salestice and then Quincy Bay race week, Is that right?
[00:13:08] Speaker B: So Salstis for adults.
Quincy Bay race week is more geared towards the kids.
[00:13:12] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:13:13] Speaker B: Yeah. So yes, I'm sure we'll have kids in both events. Absolutely.
[00:13:17] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:13:18] Speaker C: We do have the outside line.
[00:13:19] Speaker B: We do have the outside line on.
[00:13:20] Speaker C: Quincy Bay race week for the regatta, which is usually they're all one design boats, the Thunderbirds that are racing in this summer sales. This usually race in that.
[00:13:31] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:13:32] Speaker C: And they're usually the biggest boats out there. There's hustlers, they're trying to get.
They had some star class boats last year which is a, as I understand is a boat designed in Quincy. Hence the star from Quincy Yacht Club.
And what was Mike saying? 1 tens, 2 tens.
[00:13:50] Speaker B: We had 110s in the past. It would be cool to have the 110s come.
[00:13:53] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean they're trying, they're trying to get some more of those.
[00:13:56] Speaker B: But last year.
Yeah, last year we had the star class race it and they're a former Olympic race boat.
[00:14:01] Speaker A: Oh really?
[00:14:01] Speaker B: Okay. And they're, they're fast. Yeah, they're fast.
[00:14:05] Speaker A: Okay. So for folks watching who want to learn more about summer salestice and you know, maybe participate, what are some, some recommendations for them to do that.
[00:14:14] Speaker B: So reach out to us through Quincy Bay Race week Association on our website quincybayaraceweek.com okay. Reach out to us.
You know, register if you want to register again. It's on regatta man.
And then you know, the best way is to, if you, if you're interested is just to walk in one of our yacht clubs. The doors are usually open in the evenings.
We welcome, you know, most, most saw clubs will welcome people walking in and asking questions.
[00:14:43] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:14:44] Speaker B: We're very friendly welcoming group for, for.
[00:14:47] Speaker A: Spectators, for folks who want to watch summer Salstice. How do they do that? What's a good way for them to do that?
[00:14:53] Speaker B: There's a couple of really good views.
[00:14:55] Speaker C: There's a couple of good spots.
[00:14:56] Speaker B: The Nut island. That Nut Island Bridge did that island there.
[00:15:02] Speaker C: And the House Neck.
[00:15:03] Speaker B: Yeah. Until at the end of House Neck. That's going to be a good spot because we're all going to sail right through there.
[00:15:07] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:15:08] Speaker B: And it can get pretty close quarters there. It's a really good viewing spot.
[00:15:12] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:15:13] Speaker B: Halgut. On the other side where the high school is, it's also going to be good. Good views. But if you want to make it a picnic and sit on the beach and. And watch us finish or start.
[00:15:23] Speaker A: Oh, right on Wall Street.
[00:15:24] Speaker B: Right on Wall Street. I mean, we're starting right there. Finishing right there.
[00:15:27] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:15:27] Speaker B: Last year the finish was all the spinnakers were out, so it was just.
[00:15:31] Speaker A: Made for a nice photo.
[00:15:32] Speaker B: I bet it made for a nice view.
[00:15:33] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. Anything else to share with folks?
[00:15:36] Speaker C: I just wanted to read the mission statement. Please do sales this so you get an idea of it. Their mission statement from their website is to host a spectacular weekend uniting and bonding a critical mass of sailors worldwide in a common, publicly visible, inspiring event to demonstrate and celebrate. Celebrate sailing, resulting in a significant positive impact on participation.
And like sailing, have fun doing it.
So that's their mission statement.
[00:16:09] Speaker A: Have fun and promote sailing.
[00:16:10] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:16:10] Speaker B: Have fun doing it.
[00:16:11] Speaker A: So is sailing still alive and well here in the city of Quincy?
[00:16:15] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, it really is.
[00:16:19] Speaker C: Yeah. There's a lot of sailboats in the different clubs.
[00:16:21] Speaker B: And one thing that's really interesting, too, sailing is very alive and well in Quincy for the very first year this year, the QNQ sailing team. So Quincy North Quincy has a sailing team which surprises a lot of people, unfortunately. This year, for the very first year, thanks to the help of Quincy Yacht Club, they were able to practice right here, right behind the CVS at the marina there. They practiced from here instead. In the past, they've always gone to community boating in Boston. And so I had to take the red line, go to the trials, etc. Here this year, this time this year, they were able to practice right here in the bay for the very first time ever. That's a huge improvement and it's a great in big part thanks to the effort of Quincy Bay Race Week of promoting junior sailing. And that's what happens when you get kids on boats.
[00:17:10] Speaker A: Sure, Absolutely. All right. I hope you have a wonderful event this year.
[00:17:14] Speaker C: Thanks, Joe.
[00:17:14] Speaker A: Third annual, right?
[00:17:15] Speaker B: Third annual, yes.
[00:17:17] Speaker C: And hopefully not the last one.
[00:17:18] Speaker A: And hopefully not the last.
And we'll be speaking more about Quincy Bay Race Week coming up after summer sales to us as well. So it's toward the end of July, right?
[00:17:26] Speaker C: Frank, it's July 24, 25, 26 and 27.
[00:17:31] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. So that's a main event for sure. Gentlemen, thank you both.
[00:17:34] Speaker B: Joe, thank you so much for having us.
[00:17:36] Speaker C: Thank you, Joe.
[00:17:36] Speaker B: Look forward to it.
[00:17:37] Speaker A: Was it Fair Seas and Fair Wind and Following?
[00:17:42] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:17:43] Speaker A: To both of you.
[00:17:45] Speaker B: Thank you so much.
[00:17:46] Speaker A: You're welcome. Thanks for watching us here at AM Quincy. I'm Joe Catalano. See you next time.
