• Your contributions have enabled us to field an extraordinary sailing school, which showed 25% growth over 2013, our previous record year. Both students and parents have given the school rave reviews, and we expect another year of growth in 2015.
• Thanks to a generous grant from the Grayce B. Kerr Fund, the history wall at the entrance to the Museum will be completely re-imagined and updated this winter.
• Over 100 contributors enabled us to successfully meet an anonymous $100,000 matching grant challenge this summer, supporting both our educational efforts and our operating needs.
• Our project to build a 1/6 scale model of the RELIANCE, the largest ever America's Cup defender, continues to amaze. The hull, spars and deck fittings are almost complete; rigging, sails, and crew uniforms remain to be done. Our volunteer team is targeting July 4, 2015 for completion.
• The design and engineering process is almost complete for a renovation of the General Burnside Building enabled by $1.5 million in grant funds. We hope to have a new roof and restored cupola in place before this winter, and restored siding and windows in the spring. Funds for the design and engineering were contributed at our winter party, the Frost Biter's Bash.
• The Herreshoff 12� BULLDOG was restored by the Ballentine Boat Shop, and the restoration of ARIA, a Buzzards Bay 25, was completed by a group of interested contributors led by Andy Giblin. Both restorations were in honor of the 100th anniversary of their respective classes.
• Our Marina has become a significant regional destination, and our seasonal dockage was completely sold out this year.
• We received a donation of ANKLE DEEP, a Class B Frostbite Dinghy that had been in the same family since it was built in 1934. She is in remarkable, original condition.
• IYRS, the yacht restoration school in Newport, has transferred much of its America's Cup collection from the Museum of Yachting to HMM, greatly expanding our already significant collection.

Every one of these achievements was made possible by contributions from generous donors like you. That is the only way we can continue to provide the kind of programming, exhibits and stewardship that you expect.

But much remains to be done. Our iconic flagpole was discovered to have suffered severe rot and must be replaced at a cost of close to $30,000. We have a serious overhang of deferred maintenance on our historic buildings that must be attended to so they do not suffer the fate of the flagpole. The new acquisitions to our collections have to be catalogued and properly housed. And much, much more.

Our goal for this year-end appeal is to raise $100,000 by December 31. Please help us achieve that goal.

Your gift will help support our mission to preserve and present the genius of yacht design, engineering, technology and manufacturing represented by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. and its founders as leaders in the industrial revolution in America.

We ask and thank you for your generous support. 

Sincerely,