img9883San Francisco, CA: From the frozen North to the sunny South sailors everywhere appreciate the arrival of summer sailing. Some because the ice is finally moving off the lakes and others, just because school is out, the days are longer and there's more time to sail. Whatever the case summer sailing is something to celebrate and Summer Sailstice is the time to do it.

June 2004 will be the fourth anniversary of this global sailing holiday founded by John Arndt in 2000 which every year increases in both sailor participation levels and geographic distribution. In 2003, over 1,400 people signed up with Summer Sailstice from all over the world, growing from 400 in 2002 and 200 in 2001. Sailors signed up from 12 countries, 40 states in the US, 5 Canadian provinces and sailed as far North as Alaska and as far South as Venezuela. The furthest East and West was Tel Aviv in the Med and Tokyo in Japan! One early bird sign up for 2004 will be sailing in Croatia.

This year, Summer Sailstice is offering a grand prize of a week long charter courtesy of The Moorings located in the British Virgin Islands. 'WOW, what a great grand prize for 2004' notes Sherrie Bonk of White Bear Lake, MN. 'I will definitely be signing up for Summer Sailstice 2004 and will be telling friends to sign up too in hopes that they would consider taking me with them on the week long charter in the BVI if they win...well at least now I have something to think about while I sit here and freeze in "Minnesnowta".'

In addition to the Moorings Charter, Summer Sailstice 2004 prizes include a $500 shopping spree at West Marine and over 100 others listed on the Summer Sailstice website, www.summersailstice.com. Prizes are awarded by random drawing to those participating in Summer Sailstice sailing on June 19th and 20th and being signed up online at www.summersailstice.com. The Summer Sailstice website helps sailors connect with other sailors by giving them a chance to post their sailing plans online and find other sailing crews to sail on the longest day of the year or just check in and see what's happening in their region of the Northern Hemisphere. Sailors celebrate in all shapes and sizes of boats; the largest party in 2003 included over 300 people celebrating at OCSC Sailing in Berkeley CA and the most members of a single yacht club signed up was from the Branched Oak Yacht Club in Nebraska. The smallest boat participating in last year's celebration was an El Toro with the largest boat, a Santa Cruz 52.

Summer Sailstice is not simply about where you sail, how you sail or why you sail - this global holiday for sailors is intended to celebrate the freedom we all have to sail. If you haven't already planned to go sailing, or racing or cruising on the weekend of June 19 & 20th, organize your friends, your yacht club, your class association or your kids now and make your Summer Sailstice plans. Summer Sailstice 2004 is not to be missed. For more information, visit and sign up at www.summersailstice.com. Fair winds!

Summer Sailstice 2004 - it's just for the fun of it!

www.summersailstice.com