The Wizard of Zenda, a film about the life of sailing legend Buddy Melges, will be screened at 8:00 PM on Tuesday, June 20 at the Block Island Club, a recipient of this year's Raffle proceeds. 

Wizard of Zenda takes the viewer on a wild ride through the career of one of the greatest sailors in the history of the sport.

Proceeds of the pre-release screening will go toward the replacement of the club’s over 50-year-old main pier according to Jamie Spallone, long-time club board member.  The Storm Trysail Club will help sponsor the screening as part of its long-standing tradition of assisting Block Island organizations that serve the community.

Quicklier Film Partners Executive Producer Anne Peterson chose a long-time partner and filmmaker Mark Honer to write and direct Wizard of Zenda. “It’s been a long road, but we’re excited to share this amazing story,” said Peterson, who grew up sailing the same waters as Melges at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  Through exhaustive research, the filmmakers uncovered film and video ranging from a 1946 regional regatta, when Buddy was 16, to a world iceboat championship in 1999, which Buddy won at the age of 71. “The jackpot was getting unprecedented access to over 100 hours of behind-the-scenes archival footage of the 1992 America3 campaign, ” said Honer. 

The club is located about a mile north of town off Corn Neck Road and on the northeast corner of the Great Salt Pond and can also be reached by launch or dinghy.  Admission will be $20.  All proceeds beyond the cost of the screening rights will go toward the club’s dock replacement project.

Spallone noted that Josh Maldonado of Soundwaves is helping the club show the film.

For more information on the Block Island Club, or to make a donation toward to dock project fund, go to blockislandclub.org or call 401-466-5939.

To learn more about the film visit WizardofZenda.com or email the filmmakers at [email protected].