Finding Peace aboard Jammin II
Crew from Jammin II found their peace while sailing during Wednesday night’s regatta between Cockenoe Island and Sherwood Island. WestportLocal.com photo
Passing the Football against Pastel Skies
Wednesday night’s warm skies allowed for some extra time to pass the football as Compo Beach slowly wound down for the evening. WestportLocal.com photo
Quiet Morning for Compo Lifeguards
Compo Beach Lifeguards had a quiet morning as hundreds of empty chairs lined the shoreline and nobody headed into the surf. The lifeguarding team will remain on their chairs tonight until 6:00 PM as part of their regular Summer hours. WestportLocal.com photo
Ghost Beach: Hundreds of Chairs with Nobody to Fill Them ahead of Fireworks
Hundreds of community members headed to Compo Beach this morning - some before sunrise - to stake their claim on the sand ahead of Westport’s fireworks spectacular. The beach appears busier than ever for a Thursday morning, but was silent as the chairs waited idly by for their families to return. A Westport tradition every year: the sight was one for sore eyes after two years without the Independence Day celebration. WestportLocal.com photo
“Yes, even the wall.” Fireball Sunset over Ned Dimes Marina
Tonight’s sunset peaked out from beneath the clouds just long enough to put on a show over Ned Dimes Marina at Compo Beach. WestportLocal.com photo
All Smiles aboard Iris during Wednesday Night Sailing Tradition
Even the youngest crew members could be seen as all smiles as waves pounded the boats off of Compo Beach this evening while the race was underway. WestportLocal.com photo
Hanging Out, Saving Fuel
Crew members aboard sailing yachts Sawtooth and COHO hang from the lifelines as moderate breeze and chop carry them through this tonight’s regatta, now the most fuel efficient way to travel in Westport. WestportLocal.com photo
Registration Open for 43rd Annual Point-to-Point Swim
WestportLocal.com archive photoWestport Weston YMCA CEO Anjali McCormick:
The Westport Weston Family YMCA’s Point-to-Point Compo Beach Charity Open Water Swim, one of Westport’s longest running sporting events, will take place on Saturday, July 10 from 7AM-11AM. The 43rd annual charity swim covers a 1 mile distance and kicks off near the Compo Beach cannons.
All proceeds go to the Y’s aquatics programs to improve aquatics safety in the community, including swim lessons that teach children and adults essential lifesaving water safety skills that build confidence in and around water and help to minimize the risk of drowning.
The charity open water swim draws numerous local swimmers, as well as competitors from New York, New Jersey, Upper New England and across Connecticut, and is separated into four heats based on ability. Advanced swimmers have the first heat at 8:00AM, intermediate swimmers take the second heat at 8:05AM, beginners start at 8:10AM with the fourth and final special needs heat starting at 8:15AM with My Team Triumph.
This year the WWFY is partnering with My Team Triumph a national non-profit athletic ride-along organization created for children, teens, adults and veterans with disabilities who would otherwise not be able to experience endurance events such as open water swims, road races, or triathalons. The group has more than 30 Captains and 200+ volunteers. Captains or special needs athletes are paired with able-bodied angel volunteers who use specialized racing equipment such as a raft to pull their Captain during the race. Special needs athletes who would like to participate must register in advance with My Team Triumph.
Check-in and day-of registration opens at 7AM. Early registration can be done online at westporty.org/43rd and is $50. In person day-of registrations costs $60 and can be done at Compo Beach starting at 7AM. The top three men’s and women’s finishers will win awards. Registered swimmers get an official Point-to-Point swim cap and t-shirt.
The Westport Weston Family YMCA is an inclusive non-profit organization that builds wholeness and wellness in spirit, mind, and body. Our cause is to strengthen the community by developing and nurturing youth, motivating healthy living, and fostering social responsibility. We offer financial assistance for membership and programs and welcome all regardless of needs, challenges, or goals.
Cockenoe Island Bluffs
The far side of Cockenoe Island was calm and quiet this morning as only the resident bird populations flitted about the narrow trail along the hillside.
Norwalk Aquarium Offers Fireworks, other Cruises throughout the Summer
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk: Enjoy special on-the-water views of the upcoming holiday fireworks display in Norwalk from aboard the research vessel of The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, just one of many memorable cruises onto Long Island Sound offered by the Aquarium this summer.
The Aquarium’s Fireworks Cruise on Sun., July 3 departs at 7:45 p.m. to give participants a unique and beautiful view of the City of Norwalk’s annual pyrotechnics, presented from the water off Calf Pasture Beach park. Plus, the cruise is a great way to avoid the crowds and post-show traffic, with a return to the Aquarium dock at 11:15 p.m.
Other Maritime Aquarium cruises this summer invite participants to discover firsthand the abundant and diverse marine life teeming just off our shores or to enjoy a relaxed evening that builds an appreciation for the Sound, an Estuary of National Significance.
Now through Labor Day, additional opportunities to join the Aquarium on the Sound include:
Marine Life Encounter Cruises1:15 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays
These fun outings present a living, squiggling, splashing snapshot of the Sound’s complex and culturally important marine life. Because each cruise’s samplings of animals is different, each cruise is a little different but participants commonly enjoy hands-on introductions to a variety of creatures ranging from microscopic copepods to prehistoric-looking horseshoe crabs to keeper-sized flounder. Lucky participants may meet a squid, mantis shrimp or even a small shark.
“Marine Life Encounter Cruises are an exciting, hands-on family adventure that goes beyond the experience inside the Aquarium,” said Nicki Rosenfeld, a Senior Education Manager who also is one of the Aquarium’s boat captains. “Participants come away with a new or deeper appreciation for Long Island Sound’s biodiversity and beauty, and thus a new or deeper desire to do their part to protect this important natural resource.”
During the 2.5-hour cruises, Aquarium educators put participants to work in collecting and examining animals from all levels of the water column: tiny wriggly plankton gathered at the surface and viewed on a large monitor via a videomicroscope; small crabs, sponges and worms grabbed from the muddy bottom; and a variety of fish, crabs, mollusks and always a few surprises brought up in a trawl net. All animals are safely returned to the water.
• TGIF Cruises • Saturday Sunset Cruises
6:30 p.m. July 1, 7 p.m. Saturdays and on Fridays in August
Enjoy a relaxing evening boat ride during these pleasurable cruises that celebrate the natural beauty of Long Island Sound, especially as twilight paints the evening sky and reflects on the water. During each 90-minute outing, Aquarium educators are along onboard to point out sights and wildlife, but there’s no structured program.
Maritime Aquarium cruises occur aboard R/V Spirit of the Sound™, a 64-foot catamaran that is the country’s first research vessel with quiet hybrid-electric propulsion, just one of the leadership steps the Aquarium has taken to model reducing its carbon footprint.
Participants for all cruises must be at least 42 inches tall. Guests under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult. The boat has a climate-controlled cabin but participants should dress for weather out on deck.
Cruises depart from the dock at North Water and Washington streets, a short walk from the Aquarium’s main entrance. (Use 4 North Water St. on your GPS for the boat dock parking lot.)
For prices, more details and to reserve your tickets now, go to www.maritimeaquarium.org.