It is so good to feel the renewed sense of excitement in the SL Sailing community. Congratulations to the folks at Fisher’s Island Yacht Club for their new club, their new leadership and their beautiful new clubhouse. Additionally, our Japanese sailing brothers and sisters have a new sim and clubhouse down in Newport Bay sim. But wait there’s more. Our French brothers and sisters now have their Les Glenans clubhouse in Santa Cruz sim, and Starboards Yacht Club is working with both German and Italian skippers to provide them assistance in the development of their club presence. God, it’s good to be working together instead of fighting.

The World Fizz Cup begins today with nearly 70 entries. I have said it before, and I will say it again. I think this Cup event will eclipse all other past Cup events as something that will fundamental change the SL Sailing commmunity. The size of the turn out, the emphasis on sailing education, and the energy being extended to run this Cup are magnificent.

Passages has recorded six outings of the fleet and has become a basic staple in the community. This is sailing unlike any other in the community. It has been blast to run and the captains and crew are having a wonderful time. And joepie has her Tugby events that we will see more of as time goes along.

And the online presence of the community continues to grow. In addition to a number of web sites listed in our Blog Roll (in the right hand column), there is now an SL Sailing wiki. But wait there’s more (did I say that already?), today COM adds two new features. Everyone will want to check out the new Selected SL Sailing Videos page where we have gathered videos related to our sailing activities. This is personally something that I am enjoying very much. But I am not the only one. We have all enjoyed Surfwidow’s sailing videos in the past you can find some of those there as well. AND, our good friend ZATZAi Asturias has create a very nice video called “USS and AI”. Now why do you suppose she might do a video that features both the United Sailing Sims and her own Artificial Isle sim complex? Could it be that the rumors are true? Could it be that the USS is about to announce its newest expansion?

Speaking of expansions, I am very pleased along with Nber Medici at the tremendous response we received from the residential island sims we created in the Balboa Estates area of the United Sailing Sims. Phase Three starts soon.