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  Sailors stepping up to give back—Sailing news from the U.S. and beyond
 | | A sign on a business reads, 'Be Prepared Go Away Irma,' as people prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017 in Miami, Florida. It's still too early to know where the direct impact of the hurricane will take place Joe Raedle / Getty Images |
As sailors, we're fortunate to travel to some of the world's most exquisite places in order to pursue our passions for sailing, but there are times when it's important to set aside our own personal racecourse ambitions and instead focus on a greater common need. One of those times is now, as large swaths of the Caribbean and the fine states of Florida and Texas were battered, first by Hurricane Harvey, which menaced Texas, followed some two weeks later by Hurricane Irma, which shredded the Caribbean and is still hammering Florida at the time of this writing (but thankfully its strength has diminished since hitting terra firma).
When I think back to my own personal sailing, some of my biggest grins have unfurled at places like the beautiful Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, the small Puerto Rican island of Culebra and all over Antigua, not to mention Florida's Key West (Race Week) or any of the other amazing places that I've been fortunate enough to visit throughout the glorious Caribbean and Florida.
Sadly, a lot of these places have sustained serious damage, if not total destruction, and the imagery of denuded hillsides, of destroyed infrastructure, of flooded towns and cities, and of shattered dreams is hard to see, but cold is the heart of the sailor who didn't weep at the sight of so many destroyed boats.
 | | West end of Paraquita Bay, Tortola half way through Irma. Back side of eye yet to pass. Glenn Ashmore |
Granted, boats are insurable objects, and while people develop deeply personal relationships with their yachts, these things can be repaired or replaced. It is human beings that matter most, of course, and now is a wonderful time to step up and help different non-profit groups that are working to bring relief to these storm battered communities.
After all, while Hurricane Irma went on a destructive run that shattered lives and glass windows alike, Hurricane Jose, the tenth named hurricane of 2017, is also ragging offshore, and while its trajectory thankfully missed the Caribbean, (also at the time of this writing) the storm could still finds its way to Florida.
While it's never easy to see onscreen imagery of nature's fury, it hits considerably closer to home when the non-stop TV footage is of now-destroyed places that we have sailed, hotels or resorts that we have stayed at, and marinas that have provided berths, fuel and freshwater, not to mention towns and businesses that have made our lives much better while visiting these beautiful places.
As sailors, we are fortunate to not only recreate in some of the world's prettiest places, but we also enjoy also the opportunity to interact with local communities and to make new friends. Right now, these friends need our support and love in order to repair and rebuild their lives.
 | | Bart's Bash – Raising funds for victims of Hurricane Irma Andrew Simpson Foundation |
One of the cooler efforts that I've heard about in the last few days is Bart's Bash, the non-profit that was created in 2014 to honor Andrew “Bart” Simpson (UK), who tragically died in a training accident on San Francisco Bay leading up to the 34th America's Cup, which has announced that they will be donating their proceeds this year to helping affected areas to rebuild their community sailing projects, however there are myriad ways to give back.
For example, the New York Times put together an interesting an informative piece on ensuring that your donations get to the right places, rather than getting sucked up by steep administrative fees, and they highlighted GlobalGiving's Hurricane Irma relief fund and GoFundMe's Direct Impact Fund, as well as more commonly cited relief organizations such as Unicef and Oxfam, as great places to give.
In all cases, the New York Times suggests cross-referencing your charity of choice with watchdog organizations such as Charity Navigator, Charity Watch or even the Better Business Bureau to ensure that your donated dollars will do the most good for people whose lives have been uprooted by these fierce storms.
Sixteen years ago today Americans were pulled together by a different kind of horror, but we showed our true colors by helping friends, neighbors and strangers alike; by opening our hearts, and by staying true to our core values and principals. While it's unfortunate that it sometimes takes horrific and destructive forces to bring us together, the fact remains that we have an opportunity to help friends and strangers alike in communities that we care about. More importantly, we also have an opportunity to put our funds in a place where they can do dramatic good now, rather than waiting on some return down the road.
 | | Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean |
Remember, if enough sailors tack on this header together, hopefully the entire fleet will experience this manmade lift.
Sail-World.com extends our deepest condolences to families that lost loved ones to hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Jose, and we wish to extend our best wishes to these affected nations, states and local communities as they struggle to begin rebuilding their lives.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor
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