Boston Blind Open 2025: Racing, Resilience and Community on the Charles

Despite a few last-minute cancellations and frantic crew reshuffling, six Sonars lined up for the start, and from the first gun the racing was tight. Over the course of six races, every team pushed hard, with the lead changing hands and podium places decided by the smallest of margins. 

In the end, Jason Wallenstein, with teammates Sam Peirson and Madi Jolly, secured victory by a single point over Duane Farrar and his crew of Lindell Cooks, Solomon Marini, and Payton Farrar. Just one point further back, Jin Qian – helming his first-ever regatta stunned the fleet with two race wins, including his debut outing on Saturday morning. Sailing with Daniel Graziano (thrown into his first event blindfolded!), Nolan Cooper, and Uyen Nguyen, Jin’s performance proved he will be a name to watch in the seasons ahead. 

Rounding out the fleet were: 

• 4th: Willi Fontanez, Mark Russell, Rick Peralta, Gregor Dzialas 
• 5th: Ginny Duff, Casandra Xavier, Dana Robinson, Gail Boettiger 
• 6th: Cailin Currie, Tabitha Baskin, Shelby Graham, Peter Fay 

The regatta also welcomed several first-timers including blind sailors Lindell Cooks and Mark Russell, and sighted crew Uyen Nguyen, Gail Boettiger, and Madi Jolly. Their energy blended seamlessly with that of seasoned veterans, making this one of the most successful BBOs to date. 

A huge thanks goes to the Race Committee of Nick Peirson, Pavel Zbitskiy and Karen Bertram, who had the unenviable task of resetting courses nearly every race as the wind shifted from East to South.  

As Pavel explained: “The wind moved 15–25 degrees each time, with sudden 90-degree shifts. Our mitigation was to keep courses long enough to average it out. It was challenging, but it worked – six great races in the bag.” 

The event also brought together generations of blind sailing. Special guests Bill Rapp and Mark Bos, stalwarts of the SailBlind programme and veterans of the 1997 Blind Sailing Worlds, joined to watch, reminisce, and reconnect. For many, seeing the next generation — from Payton Farrar to Hannah Wallenstein — competing at such a high level was a powerful reminder of how far blind sailing has come. 

After racing, sailors and volunteers gathered on the dock for pizza, drinks from CBI’s Sips & Sails popup bar, and the presentation of the David Vieira Memorial Trophy to event winner Jason Wallenstein. Named in memory of Boston Blind Sailing’s first President, who passed away in 2022, the trophy honours Dave’s love of racing and his passion for a good post-race celebration. 

Since its creation in 2016, the Boston Blind Open has provided blind and visually impaired sailors with a platform to race at the highest level. The 2025 edition proved once again that the BBO is not just about competition, but about building community, welcoming new sailors, and celebrating the inclusive spirit of the sport. 

Boston Blind Sailing now looks ahead to weekly practices beginning in May 2026 – and to seeing this growing community back on the Charles for future editions of the BBO. 

Congratulations to all who competed, volunteered, and supported the event. The Boston Blind Open continues to shine as a model of what inclusive sailing can achieve. 

Text courtesy of Duane Farrar, Boston Blind Sailing.