Miami will once again play an important role in the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race when it hosts the start of the transatlantic leg from the U.S. East Coast to Lisbon. The race fleet will travel to Miami from the Brazilian port of Itajai. Miami beat out stiff competition from other U.S. ports to win its bid to participate in the race, winning back the stopover position that it last hosted in 2001-02. This will be the 5th time since 1989 that Miami has served as a stopover for the Whitbread / Volvo event. Find out more on the Volvo Ocean Race website.

A 22-year-old Ohio woman named Katie Spotz has just completed a two month solo journey across the Atlantic Ocean in a rowboat, setting what is thought to be a new record as the youngest person to complete this feat. Katie departed from Dakar, Senegal and ended her journey 3000 miles later when she landed at a pier off the coast of Guyana.

She rowed to raise money and awareness for the non-profit Blue Planet Run Foundation. This organization is working to bring clean water to 1 billion people in the world who are currently without. She made the crossing in a specially-designed ocean rowboat without any support vessels nearby, rowing for as many as 10 hours a day. For more information, see Katie Spotz’s Row For Water blog. You can also view a CBS News story about Katie and her journey on YouTube:

The Long Island Yacht Club (LIYC) is located on 6.5 acres of rolling green on the Great South Bay of Long Island, New York. The club features a Georgian style clubhouse with bar, patio and sports lounge. The club also features an Olympic size swimming pool, a children’s pool and playground and 3 tennis courts. An 80-slip marina and winter storage are part of the club facilities.   Find out more about the club on the Long Island Yacht Club website.

The CCA (Cruising Club of America) is an organization of 1200 cruising enthusiasts who are passionate about good seamanship, the seaworthy design of cruising yachts, yachting safety and environmental issues. CCA was formed in 1921 and has continued to serve the yachting community through national committees that promote the mission of the club. CCA has no clubhouse or formal base of operations, but sponsors events like the annual Newport Bermuda Race, which will be held June 18 this year. For more information, see the CCA website and the official Newport Bermuda Race website.