Mark Alan Lovewell
The sailing season is still months away and plans are now under way for the Vineyard Cup, a three-day regatta. Organizers plan a larger and more high profile event, one that is easier to view. Last year the weekend racing attracted more than 80 sailboats and this year the numbers could exceed 100.
Racing takes place Friday, July 16 and runs through Sunday, July 17. Sailboats of all sizes will be competing for prizes and at least one is coming from as far away as Florida.
For those who love to eat fresh bay scallops harvested from Island ponds, they won’t be available in fish markets for long. The fishery closed yesterday.
Shellfish constables report it was a fair season, with Edgartown doing the best. More than 100 commercial bay scallopers across the Island were able to make a decent day’s pay since the season began back in the fall. Only one or two fishermen were out working the ponds in each of the towns by the season’s end, though.
Efforts to further restrict the harvesting of lobsters by this summer were delayed this week. Fisheries managers will not impose any additional restrictions on lobster fishing for at least another year because they have not yet agreed on a clear set of restrictions to bring to public hearings, a necessary first step towards finalizing new regulations.
The next meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s lobster management board won’t take place until August.
Plans are under way to raise 50,000 juvenile winter flounder in Vineyard waters next year. The work on the two-year $308,000 National Sea Grant project has already begun but the biggest hurdle won’t happen for another year.
This is the big centennial year for the Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club. While the club members haven’t yet figured out how to celebrate, they’ve taken one first step to capitalize on the milestone: They’ve come out with 100 special, limited edition, numbered hats.
Sheriff Christopher S. (Huck) Look would have been pleased by the fellowship that arose at Tuesday’s service at the Edgartown Whaling Church. All his grandchildren, his family, many of his friends and a lot of his colleagues in the profession from across the state were there. Police chiefs and officers from every Island town, and many from afar, came to pay tribute.