Community Boating Awarded for Service to the Boston Community

BOSTON, May 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Community Boating, Inc. accepted two awards at the 2025 US Sailing Leadership Forum, a biannual conference for sailing leaders. CBI Executive Director Charlie Zechel received “The Marty” for his enduring contribution to advancing public access sailing, and the Creative Innovations in Programming Award for its microscopy class on the Charles River.

Zechel received the Martin A. Luray Award (“The Marty”), Community Sailing’s highest award, for his work developing CBI’s Universal Access Program, youth STEM program, and leadership development courses.

“I feel deeply humbled, honored and grateful to be recognized,” said Zechel. “We have built a community at CBI, and sharing what we do is a joy. It’s exciting to get a phone call or email from an organization, not always the United States, that heard something about Community Boating in Boston and wanted to learn more about how they could build their community.”

The Creative Innovations in Programming Award recognizes community initiatives that creatively promote public access sailing, particularly with non-traditional offerings on the water. CBI’s Intro to Microscopy classes helps youth sailors conduct citizen science by gathering and analyzing water samples, reinforcing the importance of preserving the Charles River. The Intro to Microscopy initiative was highlighted in the Journal of STEM Education.

The junior program serves close to 1000 children (ages 11-17) each year, and more than one-third of those children sail for the nominal fee of one dollar. The junior sailors can participate in sailing classes, high performance opportunities, STEM education, racing, and more, in addition to recreational offerings.

About Community Boating
Community Boating, the nation’s oldest public sailing organization, got its start serving city kids in the West End in 1946. The nonprofit has grown since then by introducing innovative initiatives for everyone from junior sailors, whose membership is on a sliding scale (as little as $1), to individuals with a range of physical and cognitive abilities (Universal Access Program), to veterans. Located on the Charles River Esplanade, the boathouse is a gathering spot for water sports, community events and STEM learning. Our mission: Sailing for all.

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