It’s a cliche but 2025 really was a year like no other—for me, for the magazine, and for the world. At this time last year, we were just hearing the news that SAIL and its sister titles (Power & Motor Yacht, Soundings, Passagemaker, Trade Only, Yachts International, and Angler’s Journal) had been acquired by a new parent company, Firecrown. Having been a part of Active Interest Media for so long, our group was in for a shake up.
In February, SAIL repeated our 2024 achievement of being the most awarded marine publication in the annual Boating Writers International awards, announced at the Miami Boat Show. We are incredibly proud of this achievement, not in the least because we are a small staff competing in a talented field of staff editors, reporters, and contributors.
In the spring, we spent a lot of time on race prep, with nearly everyone on the editorial side of the magazine heading offshore at some point in the summer. Editor-in-Chief Wendy and I did the Annapolis-Newport, then Wendy and Technical Editor Adam Cove squared off in the Marion-Bermuda, which Wendy’s team aboard Dianthus won.
Perhaps the biggest change for SAIL was Wendy’s departure in June. For three years, Wendy and I had worked closely together day in and day out, and she gave her heart and soul to this magazine. I’m often the one answering SAIL’s feedback email, so I know just how much her voice and keen sense of storytelling resonated with readers. As mentioned in my October editor’s letter, hers are daunting shoes to fill.
But we carry on, and in August, Adam and his wife Alison welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Riley. Adam has warned us to expect plenty of young family content in upcoming issues.
In September and October, our team attended the Newport International and Annapolis Sailboat Shows, which I think I speak for everyone in saying are some of our favorite events of the year. It’s one of the few times we get to meet our readers in person and hear their thoughts. And while I’ve been here for eight years, some of you readers have been here for 50, so it’s always a treat to hear their stories and ideas.
In November, I received the Yachting Journalists Association’s Young Journalist of the Year award, which was a tremendous and humbling honor, and one that I hope will serve SAIL well as we continue to cover all the adventures at sea you could want from a magazine.
And that brings us back to December and another year where we do it all over again. Monday begins our annual countdown to the New Year with our editor’s picks for the 10 best stories of 2025. This includes milestone moments, influential profiles, and the best of marine storytelling. We hope you’ll enjoy revisiting them with us. And from all of us at SAIL, we could not do what we do without your support, so thank you for being a part of our family this year.
(PS: If you’re looking for gift ideas for your favorite sailor, you can get SAIL merch here or a subscription to the magazine here.)
