Sunny skies and crisp summer breezes combined with two full days of stellar competition as the Menemsha Pond Racers won the inaugural Vineyard Herreshoff Cup this weekend.

The competition was held June 28 and 29 on Menemsha Pond and featuring sailors from the Edgartown Yacht Club and the Menemsha Pond Racers.

Charlie Felder, longtime manager at the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club and the co-owner of a new J/70, got the Holmes Hole Sailing Association summer series underway last Sunday with a first-place finish (A Division). Eleven boats came to the line for a noon start at Buoy 6 on a stunning Vineyard day.

The Holmes Hole Sailing Association kicked off the summer season on June 14 with its first-ever opening-weekend potluck supper, followed by an annual tune-up race on Sunday, June 15.

The fourth of July weekend began and ended with three Holmes Hole SA races that produced five different winners.

Eleven skippers and their crews opted to spend Independence Day on the water in a Thursday evening race that was close with the top five boats finishing all within a minute of each other.

Whit Hanschka’s Sally took first place honors by eight seconds in 34 minutes flat on corrected time on a beautiful evening with 12 boats on the starting line. Mo Flam on Penelope took second followed by Dan Culkin on Magic Time.

Sailors and sailboats of every description will descend on Edgartown and Vineyard Haven this weekend when two big regattas that are mainstay sailing events of summer get under way.

The Edgartown Yacht Club will host its 90th annual regatta, and Sail Martha’s Vineyard will host its annual Vineyard Cup. Both events attract world-class sailors, and the waters from Cow Bay in Edgartown to West Chop in Vineyard Haven will be dotted with colorful sails all weekend.

The first exports from New England to Europe were two cargoes of sassafras, gathered by Martin Pring and his company on Martha’s Vineyard and the neighboring islands, and taken by Pring to England in sloop Speedwell and bark Discoverer, two small vessels. They came over in 1603, setting sail from Milford Haven, April 10th. With the sassafras on board they sailed from the Vineyard August 9th and arrived at Bristol, England, Oct. 2, 1603. Sassafras at the time was held in high esteem for its medicinal qualities.

The deadline for entry into this year’s 35th annual George Moffett Memorial Race is approaching. Friday, Aug. 31, is the last day for entry forms to be mailed to the Holmes Hole Sailing Association.

While the race is still more than a week away, organizers of the event need to do their handicap work in preparation for the race on Saturday, Sept. 8. Last year there were 40 boats participating in the race.