Announcing MEMORIAL SAILS for HOSPICE

Many member regattas of the National Hospice Regatta Alliance now have a Memorial Sails program.

The Rochester, New York, hospice regatta originated the idea of offering people the opportunity to memorialize their loved ones by signing a special sail.

The Rochester, New York, hospice regatta originated the idea of offering people the opportunity to memorialize their loved ones by signing a special sail.

People who donated to, or participated in, the 2003 Rochester regatta were invited to create a permanent memorial by writing the names of deceased loved ones on the sail.

	At Rochester’s Friday clambake, Genesee YC member Randy Burr writes the name of his late wife Pat on the 2006 Memorial Sail, while his friends Jan Ziobrowski & Billy Smith wait their turn.
	Why Optimists? The “Opti” dinghy is an 8-foot international class boat widely used for teaching sailing to young people.  Among world-class sailors, 70% of medalist skippers in the Olympics at Athens learned to sail and race in Optimists. The U.S. class web site is http://www.usoda.org

Each year, Rochester adds a new Memorial Sail on which people can write, and each year the number of names and messages to loved ones grows.  So grows the Memorial Fleet by one more boat, as junior sailors cruise by the pre-regatta clambake and post-regatta party on boats rigged with sails from all prior years.  The Rochester fleet has now grown large enough that they are considering a small race among the dinghies, but the message is in the sails, racing or not.

Hospice regattas use the sails in many ways.  As shown in the photo of 3 Optimist dinghies sailing by the 2004 Rochester regatta party, they are a touching display of caring memories.  With each new year, a new sail and new signatures.

In addition to Rochester’s sail-by, the sails are prominently displayed at all regatta-related events and other Hospice events, too.  They have been used at promotional outreach events, at local clubs and marinas, and other occasions so donors and sailors could sign in advance of the local regatta.

Like the sailing regattas themselves, the Memorial Sails are eyecatching reminders of the breadth and depth of end-of-life care that hospices provide.

The program raises awareness of Hospice care and what the sailing community does for Hospice — especially the support offered grieving family, including children.  And it provides young sailors the opportunity to participate early in this meaningful regatta.

Memorial Sails for 2009: The first year of memorial sails were donated by an anonymous donor to the Alliance, and were provided at-cost by Haarstick Sailmakers in Rochester NY. In 2009, Haarstick offers local hospice regattas a discount. The 2009 cost is $300 for a single sail, with 20% off for up to 5 orders in hand at one time, so prompt ordering will benefit all. Each sail is printed with the NHRA logo and the current year.