There are new businesses opening on Main street Vineyard Haven, but the town business association may be losing steam. Tisbury business association president Dawn Braasch announced this week that she is stepping down from her position, and said if a replacement cannot be found the organization may fold.

“I am sending this notice to let you know that I am withdrawing as president of the TBA. I had hoped someone else on the board would come forward to take the reins of the association, but no one has,” said Ms. Braasch in an email to the association sent Oct. 30.

If they were motorists, they’d surely be ticketed. Going over 45 miles per hour on the Vineyard is illegal.

But the dozen world-class athletes who competed in the second annual North American Speed Sailing Invitational attain their formidable speeds not on paved roads but on water. They raced on Sengekontacket Pond, Cape Pogue Bay and Katama Bay, depending on the wind conditions of each location. During the competition, which ended on Tuesday, the high-flying kites became familiar sights.

The arcane issue of clay rights surfaced this week in Chilmark when the town selectmen voted to approve a tax rate for the coming year.

At their meeting Tuesday selectmen approved a tax rate of $2.29 for 2013 at the annual public property rate classification hearing with the board of assessors. The rate of $2.29 per thousand-dollar valuation is an increase of 21 cents over last year’s rate of $2.08.

With one game left in the regular season, the U-14 girls’ squad of Martha’s Vineyard United remains undefeated. Last Saturday, the team played Stoughton in an away match, Whitney Schroeder notched the first Vineyard goal five minutes into the first half, but both defenses stepped up their play afterwards to keep the score 1-0 until the final portion of the game. Adelaine Keene scored with 15 minutes left in the game to give the team a 2-0 win and preserve the girls’ streak. The U-14s now hold an 8-0 record as they head into Saturday’s game against Dartmouth.

Football plays its second-to-last home game of the season tonight at 6:30 p.m., taking on Eastern Athletic Conference opponent Bishop Stang.

The field hockey squad took on Plymouth South in its first post-season game on Thursday afternoon. Game coverage is available online at www.mvgazette.com

Boys’ soccer plays its first tournament game in an away game against Scituate Sunday at 3:30 p.m., and the varsity cross country runners compete in the Coaches’ Invitational this Saturday in Wrentham.

Fred Murphy and his crew and schooner Ishmael were a top winner in the annual Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, held late last month. The 48-foot schooner from Vineyard Haven received a first place in her class. There were four classes. The schooner won the Michelob Chesapeake Bay Challenge Trophy for having the best corrected time at Windmill Point of 16 hours, two minutes and six seconds.

“Our strategy was to win our class, and we won fourth overall, on corrected time,” said Mr. Murphy.