THE LOG | July 9 - July 22, 2021 | 29
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Sailing By: JORDAN B. DARLING NEW YORK — On June 24 the United States SailGP Team announced they were accepting applications for community organizations to partner with Foiling First, a progra set to advance diversity and inclusion in the sport and provide the first professional pathway to foiling in the United States. The program was developed as part of SailGP’s #RacefortheFuture and will build on the existing social impact commitment from SailGP to advance change in American sailing. There are three layers to the partnership program, “partner organizations will build a fleet of foiling boats upon which community members will learn to sail (or-
ganizations with existing fleets of foiling boats are welcome to apply); U.S. SailGP Team athletes and coaches will lead annual ‘Coach Clinics’ with partner organizations – multi-day courses held at centralized national locations that will equip coaches to instruct foiling and serve as a forum for collaboration on training curriculums; to further increase accessibility for communities less exposed to the sport of sailing and to champion diversity, partner organizations will choose one diversity-focused organization in their community to work with, supported by Foiling First, to create introductions to the sport of sailing,” according to a June 24 press release from Sail GP. On the same day the team announced that Bristol Yacht Club and East Bay Sailing Foundation have joined as founding
SailGP photo
U.S. SailGP Team Announces ‘Foiling First’ Partnership Program
US SailGP is launching a community partnership program as part of its #RacefortheFuture movement. partners of the Foiling First: Partnership Program. As part of the commitment to join the program, the two groups have committed to hosting a Foiling First: Learn to Foil Camp on June 20 and 21, the camp is
in partnership with Melges Performance Sailboats and will have U.S. SailGp Team athletes facilitating a multi-day course to introduce community youth and coaches to foiling. For more information see FoilingFirst.com.
By: JORDAN B. DARLING
LONG BEACH— Thirteen dinghies gath-
ered around the back of the two-tiered power boat as Steve Hyham, co-founder of Low Tide Yacht Club, gave the opening speech and laid down the rules for the 2nd Annual Dinghy Poker Run. Jimmy Buffet was playing low from a boat stereo and a summer breeze came off the water cooling off the group of over 20 people gathered around to participate in the run. After a fair amount of heckling and last-minute checks, Brandy Hyham, co-founder of Low Tide Yacht Club, rang a large brass bell and the dinghies took off across the water set on a mission for the best five card poker hand. On June 26 the Low Tide Yacht Club hosted their second annual Dinghy Poker Run benefitting the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro. The event, open to all participants with a dinghy, winded its way through Long Beach Marina stopping at stations along the way, from the Naples Canal where a couple of Marines volunteering for the event used the house under construction as inspiration for a handy-man themed spot to the beach on the peninsula where the Marine Mammal Care Center had parked under an umbrella for the day to pass out poker cards and information about the center to participants. The Low Tide Yacht Club got its start
in the slip of water between docks 17 and 18 in 2019. A bunch of boaters floating around behind their boats, sharing beers and laughs, joined together to create their own club where they could share their love of boats, Jimmy Buffet, and good time. Brandy and Steve Hyham were floating in the water behind their boat with their neighbor and friend Mark Rowen when the group began to toss around the idea of creating their own yacht club right there in the harbor where they could enjoy their friends and also raise money for charity. “We wanted to have fun and a fun way for making money for charity,” said Mark Rowen, co-founder of Low Tide Yacht Club. From a fleeting thought to putting pen to paper, the Low Tide Yacht Club drinkers with a boating problem became a reality. The club’s little community, recognized by the American Yacht Club Association in 2021, meets in between dock 17 and 18 to hold charity events, movie nights in the water, and other group events throughout the year. “I think the important thing is that we are a free club and this is really what we want to do with people’s money,” said Hyham. “Instead of having membership dues, we have no overhead, so our membership dues really go to charity. If someone can contribute $20, we will take it, if someone can do $200, we will take it. We really aren’t interested in how much money someone makes… Everyone is wel-
Jordan B. Darling Photos
Low Tide Yacht Club Hosts Dinghy Run
A dinghy poker run in Long Beach Marina raises $2,000 for the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro.
come, come down and have a good time.” The event ended at 5 p.m. with a small celebration on the peninsula where the award for the best hand, a donated blow-up paddleboard, and the “biggest-loser” a large bottle of Kraken Rum, were passed out and a large $2,000 check to the Marine Mammal Care Center was gifted to representatives Dave Bader, chief operations and education officer, and Amber Becerra, president and CEO of the center. This is the second year that the club has focused its event on the Marine
Mammal Care Center, and according to Hyham the relationship will continue on to raise money for marine mammals. “We love the ocean and it brings us joy, we want to take care of it,” said Brandy Hyham. To learn more about the center see https://marinemammalcare.org/, and for more information on Low Tide Yacht Club see www.lowtideyachtclub.com.
