The summer solstice is coming, marking the official beginning of summer.
The Summer Sailstice, on the other hand, is a world wide sailing celebration any sailor can sign up to participate in, by either attending or coordinating local and regional events and regatta's on June 19th, 2010.
The official summer solstice is not until two days later on June, 21st, the longest day of the year.
According to www.summersailstice.com, "Solstice comes from the Latin (sol, sun; sistit, stands). At the solstices, the sun's apparent position on the celestial sphere reaches its greatest distance above or below the celestial equator, about 23 1/2° of arc. The summer solstice marks the first day of the season of summer. The declination of the Sun on the (northern) summer solstice is known as the Tropic of Cancer (23° 27'). The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, respectively, in the sense that the length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is a maximum for the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day of the year and the shortest night of the year is when the Sun is farthest north, marking the beginning of summer."
Sailors for the Sea, a non-profit organization "that educates and empowers the boating community to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters," is one of this years Summer Sailstice sponsors and is trying to get the word out about the events.
The website also states, "Summer Sailstice was founded in February 2001 by John Arndt, as the global, annual celebration of sailing held on the summer solstice.
The annual Summer Sailstice sailing event is free to all participants and has grown from 200 boats signed up in 2001 to well over 2,000 boats today. Since many sailors join in the fun on boats signed up at http://www.summersailstice.com, the actual number of Summer Sailstice sailors participating is estimated at almost 10,000 annually.
In joining with Sailors for the Sea, Summer Sailstice strives to inform and mobilize sailors, their families and communities to enjoy and conserve the beauty of the oceans and while raising awareness of human impacts on the fragile marine environment and wildlife."
Locally there are events scheduled on Lakes Tioga-Hammond and Nockamixon in northern Pennsylvania, Lake Erie, the Delaware River, and the Chesapeake Bay.
Just one more excuse to get out and set sail on a beautiful summers day!
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