Nevin Sayre will soon embark on the “Round the Vineyard Challenge,” a 55-mile solo wing-foiling journey around Martha’s Vineyard to raise $55,000 for Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS).
Sayre became the first person to circumnavigate Martha’s Vineyard on a wing foil in 2024 and is returning this year to raise $1,000 for every mile of the island’s coastline. With the tacking and jibing required to navigate the course, he expects to travel 80 to 100 miles. The challenge will take place when wind and sea conditions allow, sometime within the next month.
“100 percent of the sponsorship and support I receive will go directly to services and programs at Community Services,” Sayre says. “I hope the island will show a strong spirit of support for this organization that means so much to thousands of islanders.”
Over the past two years, Sayre’s “Round the Vineyard Challenge” has raised more than $100,000 for islanders in need, continuing a decades-long commitment to the organization. From 1988 to 2008, Sayre spearheaded the Vineyard Windsurfing Challenge, an annual race on traditional windsurfers that also raised funds for MVCS.
The “Round the Vineyard Challenge” builds on that tradition through wing foiling, a form of windsurfing that uses a handheld wing, or sail, combined with an underwater hydrofoil.
Sayre’s longstanding commitment to MVCS was recently recognized with the Art Buchwald Award for Outstanding Community Service, presented at the 48th Annual Possible Dreams auction on August 8. The award honors his dedication to MVCS and his work through the “Round the Vineyard Challenge,” a creative fundraising effort that reflects the perseverance, generosity, and community spirit of Martha’s Vineyard.
Support the “Round the Vineyard Challenge” through the MVCS “Round the Vineyard Challenge” page and follow the Vineyard Challenge on Facebook for updates, including when Sayre launches, real-time tracking, and viewing locations around the island. Supporters can also leave messages of encouragement in the campaign’s “Cheering Corner.”