Sail Magazine

by Meredith Laitos

Meredith Laitos is SAIL’s Senior Editor. She sails in and around Boston and specializes in charter destinations.

Make the Great Escape

by Meredith Laitos, Posted September 22, 2009

Fall is in full force and winter is creeping up on the horizon; a trip to the British Virgin Islands sounds more appealing by the day. Imagine yourself at the helm of a 40-foot charter boat, sailing through translucent teal waters and anchoring off soft white beaches. Now imagine the same scenario…for free.There’s still time to enter SAIL’s Great Escape contest, where you could win a

Going for the Gold

by Meredith Laitos, Posted September 2, 2009

Hunter Ratliff wants nothing more than to feel the weight of a gold medal around his neck. To stand on the podium, national anthem blaring, knowing his success came from no one but himself. But it’s going to take a while to get there.Last November, Hunter, now 25, embarked on an Olympic campaign for his 470 sailboat. He and his crew, Topher Williams, spend their days building what Ratliff

Charter Directory

by Meredith Laitos, Posted August 31, 2009

SAIL's Charter Directory is your source for finding the next best thing in charter vacations

Build up your charter confidence

by Meredith Laitos, Posted August 24, 2009

Chartering on a crewed boat can be great fun, but taking charge of a bareboat in an exotic location leads to a whole new level of enjoyment. Unfortunately, many otherwise competent sailors are nervous that they don’t have the skills to skipper a large monohull or catamaran in a charter environment. If you’ve been waiting to take the leap to bareboating, here is your perfect springboard: Fair Wind

Looking for vacation gold

by Meredith Laitos, Posted August 20, 2009

As adventure-seekers, we take our sailing trips seriously. We want to unfurl our sails, explore far-off locations and leave the daily grind behind. But when the pennies start to pinch, vacations tend to be the first luxury to go.This doesn’t have to be the case. With a few adjustments you can still enjoy the trip of a lifetime without breaking the bank. Stay closer to

Kids Sail with the Stars in Boston

by Meredith Laitos, Posted August 19, 2009

When kids grow up sailing on the Charles River in Boston, it’s easy for them to assume that the breadth of their sport stops there. That’s why, every summer, Boston’s Community Boating Inc. (CBI) brings in a fleet of sailing “stars” to crew for their outstanding students in the annual Kids Sail the Stars event. The formula is simple: the most dedicated junior sailors are the

Bid dreams

by Meredith Laitos, Posted July 22, 2009

From now until October 2nd, the city of Chicago will keep its fingers crossed, vying to become host to the 2016 Olympic Games. It’s currently one of four candidate cities, but the competition is tough. With the other three candidates hot on its heels, Chicago’s 2016 Bid Committee is hard at work showcasing what makes their city best-suited for the challenge, not the least

College rookies hit big time

by Meredith Laitos, Posted June 17, 2009

Matriculating from collegiate dinghy racing to big-boat sailing is like transitioning from T-ball to the Big Leagues. For most college sailors coming from two-man 420’s or FJ’s, the biggest challenge is getting used to the precise coordination of a multi-person crew sailing on boats and courses that are much bigger and more demanding than they’re used to.This March the Port of Los Angeles

New disabled sailing regatta

by Meredith Laitos, Posted May 7, 2009

After the successful 2008 US SAILING’s Disabled Championship, it was evident that competitors wanted more top-level disabled sailing events. The American Yacht Club responded by organizing the inaugural Robie Pierce One Design Regatta. From June 5-7, 25 teams will compete in a fleet of donated Ideal 18s. Each boat will include two blind or disabled sailors and one able-bodied

Sailing in the Same Boat

by Meredith Laitos, Posted March 9, 2009

“Why do Africans not swim?” I ask Ayo. “The Middle Passage,” he answers. “For you white people, the water is a playground, for us, it is the point of no return.”In a fusion of cruising and performing, two men – one black, one white – are preparing to retrace the Atlantic Slave Triangle on their expedition, “Deep Water/High Seas.” Martin Hubbard and Ayodale Scott will anchor in the