With seven employees, the closing of Broomfield & Son, Inc., in Providence, R.I., in March 2020 didn’t make a splash on the business pages. For boat builders, boat owners and repair yards, however, Broomfield’s shutdown was an outsized event. That’s because Broomfield & Son, Inc., makes production keels, custom keels, and does re-surfacing and the replacement of keel bolts for customers nationwide. The company also offers billets (block and custom shapes and sizes), M-blocks, and more, and does repair work. The small, family-run business, a fourth-generation enterprise in existence for more than 60 years, was forced to close last March…
Read More
While some sailing events have taken place even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in 2021, others have been canceled given the risk of spreading the coronavirus infection. The 36th America’s Cup final took place in March, with Emirates Team New Zealand winning the final race on March 17, taking the cup for the fourth time. Another event that continued even as the pandemic infection rates increased in some areas was the 2021 Newport to Cabo Race, which started on March 19 with 18 total entries. As of March 20, two boats in the fleet had reportedly retired due to gear…
Read More