WindCheck: The Ties That Bind

As our world has progressed in how we communicate, we can also lose sight of effective communication, or how we are connected through communication. Local publications are the ties that bind, delivering content that is directed at its audience, and unavoidably resides on counter-tops throughout the community.

Sailing areas with local publications are lucky, which is how we have always viewed sailors and boaters in the Northeast. WindCheck Magazine is the conduit for the region, and it is now for sale. Here we learn about this vital source of sailing news…

Anne Hannan and Chris Gill grew up sailing on Long Island Sound and had been friends for more than 30 years. They started racing together on Anne’s J/24, competing in regattas up and down the East Coast while also sailing together offshore, racing in the Marblehead to Halifax Race, Vineyard Race and Newport Bermuda Race, to name a few.

While competing at a regatta on the Chesapeake Bay in 2001, they picked up a copy of Spinsheet, a Chesapeake based sailing magazine. Both enjoyed and appreciated that magazine’s regional approach, and learned that it had an active and loyal readership.

Conversation ensued about the lack of such a publication in the Northeast, where an already vibrant boating community would be well served by something similar.

As both Anne and Chris were in a period of transition in their careers, they decided that publishing a magazine about sailing was their collective calling and began researching the possibilities. With much support from the local sailing community, the first issue of WindCheck was printed in July 2002.

Fast forward, WindCheck has enjoyed significant growth throughout its 15-year history, starting with 10,000 copies per month offered for free at 250 distribution points on Long Island Sound and presently distributing 30,000 copies to more than 1,200 sailor havens from Maine to New Jersey 10 times a year.

WindCheck was created to serve as the conduit by which sailors in the Northeast would connect and receive news and information, and has gained a reputation as a trusted source for boating and coastal news and information for its readership and advertisers.

WindCheck was started and is still run by the same people. While as many as 12 part-time staff contribute monthly, the boating community at large is responsible for the magazine’s continued success. So, why sell such a well-established and valuable piece of the Northeast boating community?

“While we’re extremely proud of building a revered resource for our sport and our region, we’ve come to the point where we want to be able to spend time pursuing other passions and focus on different aspects of the lives that we’ve created while building and running WindCheck,” Gill explained “We hope to do all these things, but not before we pass the helm to someone who will continue this important, diverse voice of and for the Northeast boating community.”

WindCheck is for sale. Call Anne or Chris at (203) 332-7639 to learn more.