Making Naval middies feel at home in Glen Head

The 42nd Around Long Island Regatta, hosted by Sea Cliff Yacht Club, is set to sail into Hempstead Harbor this Saturday. It will draw a fleet of boats, cruisers and other floaters from across the northeast to complete a 205-mile nautical race, which will kick off from New York Harbor on Thursday.

Almost 100 teams are registered for this year’s regatta, including the Varsity Offshore Sailing team from the Naval Academy in Annapolis. The crew arrived in Sea Cliff by boat on Monday morning direct from Newport, R.I.

Since July 7, the 16-member crew has clocked in over 1,000 miles of sailing as part of the academy’s professional development training program. Over the course of the summer they’ve ported in Bermuda, Boothbay Harbor, Newport, and now Sea Cliff, getting a glimpse of what each community has to offer.

Head Coach Jahn Tihansky said coming to Sea Cliff’s shores is “a huge treat” as the regatta committee sponsors host families for the crew to live with during their time ashore. This week, he is living with event co-chair James Aikman, of Glen Head.

“This has been a tradition for over 20 years,” said Aikman. “A lot of places they sail into have dorm rooms available, but they love coming to Sea Cliff. They get to get off a wet boat, and get a hot shower and a dry place to sleep.”

Seven local families are hosting the crew’s mid-shipmen, or “middies” through the end of the weekend. Glen Head resident Shana Spanier has hosted middies for the last four years, earning the name “sponsor mom.”

“It’s a pleasure to have them here eating home cooked meals and watching TV with my kids,” she said. “That [comfort] gets them as close to home as they can get.”

Tihansky said that after weeks of high-level racing, he and his team look forward to living with residents and recharging before the regatta. “Sea Cliff is a very warm and welcoming community,” he said, “and that’s always attracted us here.”

“A big part of this is interacting with the youth of the communities, too,” Tihansky said. The Naval students range in age from 19 to 22 and serve as role models to children in the community. On Tuesday, junior sailors from the yacht club got a chance to sail around Hempstead Harbor on the team’s racing boat, the Hooligan.

“Our middies love for the kids to see them work and how they conduct themselves, and just be role models,” Tihansky said. “They want a good impression left on the kids.”

Such an impression was left on Spanier’s own son, William, who is participating in the regatta for the first time. He is 15.

“The sailors were a huge influence for him when he was younger,” she said. “He looked up to these guys, and now he wants to apply to some of the academies because they encouraged his sailing.”

Housing the sailors, Spanier said, is another point of pride. “I take every opportunity I can to sponsor them. They may be fighting for us one day.”

Residents can watch the regatta’s riveting end from Sea Cliff’s beach pavilion this Saturday. An awards ceremony and beach party to recognize the winners of the regatta will be held the following night.