It tells you all about this years Gosport Regatta happening on Star Island Corporation in partnership with Piscataqua Sailing Association.

Seacoast boaters and Star Island’s overnight guests can look forward to a new level of dining service at the Isles of Shoals this summer.

“Our goal is to enhance the visitor experience at Star Island,” said John Bynum, Star Island’s new food service manager. “Step ashore, come up to the snack bar and enjoy Star Island’s signature lime rickey on the front porch of the historic Ocean Hotel. Order a picnic lunch to take back to the boat or relax on the front lawn.”

Bynum, who brings a healthy flare to the Shoals kitchen, will introduce café-style food offerings for weekend boaters and overnight guests at the island this summer. The snack bar, which has long been known to kids and families for its breakfast sandwiches, hot dogs and ice cream service, will soon get an upgrade. This new café-style experience will include gluten-free and vegan offerings. The menu will feature fruits and vegetables from Star Island’s new organic garden and include such items as healthy wraps, salads, fruit platters and vegetable crudites with hummus.

“We are hoping Star Island will become a destination for boaters and day visitors aboard the M/V Thomas Laighton,” Bynum said. “We would like all of our guests to look forward to enjoying the food on island. We would like people to say, ‘let’s go to Star for a lime rickey and a turkey sandwich with cranberry chutney or a roast beef sandwich with boursin cheese.’ We also want people to know there are opportunities for catered events here as well.”

Bynum, a Salem resident, joined the Star Island staff in 2011 after several years at The Wang Theater in Boston. He carries a passion for creating great-tasting healthy recipes based on his study of culinary arts and food service marketing at Rhode Island-based Johnson & Wales. Bynum will kick-off the season in his new role by catering the post-race reception of the Gosport Regatta at the historic Oceanic Hotel on Saturday, June 9.

“Our Gosport Regatta menu is designed to showcase what weekend boaters and guests can expect at Star Island this year,” he said. “We would like to invite boaters to come to Gosport Harbor and spend the day at Star Island.”

The Beard awards are the highest honor for North American food and beverage professionals.

Huge congratulations to you, Christina!

Share the experience of literature with guest speakers that include Anita Shreve, author of The Weight of Water; Katherine Towler, author of the Snow Island trilogy; and Corwin Ericson, author of Swell.

The Star Island Literary Festival is home to creativity, imagination and the art of writing. Join us as this island experience grows into a burgeoning festival with authors, educators and those simply interested in good writing.

Click here for more information and to register.

Piscataqua Sailing Association Commodore James McCarthy is looking forward to a captivating race to launch the summer season as the co-host of the third annual Gosport Regatta.

“We are very excited to work with Star Island to put on a first class race that many regard as the kickoff to the sailing season on the New Hampshire Seacoast,” McCarthy said. “We also have many other events over the course of the summer.”

McCarthy and the regatta committee begin preparations for the Gosport Regatta right after the previous years’ race. The process begins with debrief to determine what went right, not so well, and gather suggestions for how to improve the racing for next year. “Our goal is to work continuously to provide the best racing as well as the best spectator experience possible,” McCarthy said.

PSA’s focus is to promote recreational sail racing in the New Hampshire Seacoast region. “Our charter is simple,” says McCarthy, “to expand awareness and participation in sailing, and the exciting sport of adult and youth competitive sailboat racing.”

The PSA is made up by a diverse group of sailors all interested in the sport of racing. “We welcome boat owners that would like to race with us as well as individuals interested in crewing on other people’s boats,” said McCarthy. “No matter what your experience level is, if you are interested in sailboat racing, PSA is a great place to start.”

PSA offers the opportunity to race on larger boats on Tuesday evenings with the PHRF Fleet. On Wednesday’s, PSA hosts laser races starting from Rye Harbor. The club also offers seven weekend races including an overnight Regatta, providing quality racing throughout the summer. “If you don’t own a boat and want to participate, please contact us through our website and we will coordinate with captains looking for crew,” McCarthy said.

The PSA promotes and coordinates competitive yacht racing through inter-club activities; youth activities; safe boating initiatives in partnership with U.S. Power Squadron, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and others, and works to improve boating facilities in the Piscataqua River Region with government and private organizations.

In addition, there are several programs to engage children in sailing. The Kittery Point Yacht Club, UNH Community Sailing Centre, and Agamenticus Yacht Club all offer high-level programs for youth sailing.

For more information, visit www.sailpsa.org.

Behind the Scenes at PSA

In addition to PSA Commodore James McCarthy, several members of the PSA provide an integral role in the Gosport Regatta planning process.

Michael Thiel: Thiel is the ‘voice’ of the Regatta. From his perch on the M/V Thomas Laighton Thiel can be heard regaling the crowd with blow by blow action at the start and along the course. He is famous for telling stories about various boats and their captains. Thiel draws on his extensive yachtsman’s experience to keep everybody informed about what is happening on the course.

John ‘Bud’ Myles: Myles is the Race Chair for the Gosport Regatta, providing several potential courses out to Star Island. The course that is ultimately selected depends on the weather of course. Wave heights, wind direction, wind strength, and desired finish times all get factored in to provide the most exciting race in the current conditions. Myles grew up around boats and has extensive racing experience, both ‘around the buoys’ and also has several major offshore races under his belt.

Tom Brown: Brown is the PRO (Principal Race Officer). You will find Brown on the committee boat, and you’ll hear him ordering flags up and down, keeping the countdown, and announcing which fleet of boats will be in the next starting sequence. Brown will also inform boats that start “prematurely” that they must do their “penalty turns,” rounding either end of the start line and restarting correctly. Yes, he’s the “enforcer!” Later, after all boats have started, you will see Brown blasting out to Gosport Harbor to set-up the finish line and record the finish time of the racers.

Spring 2012

Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1

Inside this Issue:

• Meet Joe Watts, the next CEO of Star Island
• Letter from Vicky Hardy
• Saying Thank You: List of donors
• Passages
• Gosport Regatta
• Top-selling books
• Literary Festival
• Shining the Star
• Your survey results
• Star Island online
• 40 under 40
• Star Bridge conference

Left to right – Jeremy Bell (ISSCo); Jack Farrell (SIC); Vicky Hardy (SIC); Russ Peterson (SIC); Angela Matthews (SIC); Joe Watts (SIC); Jerod Blanchett (ISSCo)

Star Island has been at the center of a lot of news this week as we get ready to kick-start the 2012 season.

Seacoast Online profiles Joe Watts, who will succeed Vicky Hardy as Star Island CEO after Hardy retires later this year to move to Seattle, Wash. to be with her family. Portsmouth Patch takes great interest in our planned green initiatives, including the use of more solar power on the island to reduce the need for fossil fuels, a reduction in energy consumed for fresh water production and wastewater treatment, fewer solid waste exports and cuts to the number of boat trips to take passengers to and from the island to reduce fuel consumption.

The Concord Monitor and TV station WMUR-9 report on Star Island’s plans to convert to solar energy

Finally, Kittery station WCSH-6 has caught wind of the exciting Star Island Literary Festival, that in its inaugural year welcomes acclaimed authors Anita Shreve, Katherine Towler and Corwin Ericson.

The confidential program is available to individuals and families that are registered for a conference and have not received a conference scholarship. Please note awards are always partial, and depend on the number of applications received.

Learn more and apply today!

Since Vicky Hardy announced her plans to retire and join her family in Seattle, the Star Island Board has given much thought as to how to approach the search for a new CEO. During our deliberations we recognized that an internal candidate was very interested in the position. After discussion, the Board decided to interview the internal candidate this week before consideration of any external search process.

I am very pleased to announce that our Board has selected Joe Watts to serve as the next CEO of the Star Island Corporation.

In our conversations with him, the Board was impressed by his passion for Star, his serious interest in continuing his personal growth, and his understanding of the challenges we face. We are excited about how well Joe’s personal interests fit the needs of Star Island. Joe has a deep understanding of our traditions, and a balanced sense of how change can support our sustainability and the core Star Island experience.

We are committed to building upon the great work we have accomplished under Vicky’s leadership. We are fortunate to have time for up a smooth leadership transition from Vicky to Joe. We will be working closely together in the months ahead to implement an effective and forward-thinking transition plan.

You have known Joe most recently as our General Island Manager, greeting you at the “Fire & Water” orientation upon your arrival on Star. Many have interacted with Joe during his decades of engagement with Star. Joe’s love of the island started when he attended his first conference, LOAS II, thirty years ago. He started his commitment to Star as an end-of-season Pelican in 1987 and has never looked back – working in a number of seasonal and year-round roles ever since. Joe served as our Acting Executive Director before Vicky’s arrival in 2008, and more recently as our Conference Center Director. Joe is a leader dedicated to Star Island, to the people who have been coming for decades, and to the people who are new to our Spirit’s Home. We will have a CEO who has already formed enduring relationships with many of you, and has strong connections to our greater Island and Seacoast communities.

Please join us in welcoming Joe to his new position – I know he is eager to hear from you about your hopes and dreams for the future. And he’s excited to see you at the Annual Meeting in April or on the Island this summer!

Cordially,

Russell A. Peterson
Board President