HYANNISPORT, Mass. -- In his first interview since his cancer diagnosis, Sen. Edward Kennedy said Thursday he is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support he has received.

There has been "incredible amounts of wonderful notes and letters from friends and colleagues in the Senate, as well as from people here in Massachusetts," Kennedy told reporters who met him along the dock near his Hyannisport home. "It has been very uplifting and touching."

Video: Kennedy Talks To Reporters On Cape

Kennedy joked and appeared in good spirits, but he told reporters that he is unlikely to sail in Saturday's Figawi race, the annual Memorial Day sailboat race from Hyannis to Nantucket.

Kennedy, an ardent sailor, has frequently participated in the annual race that benefits Cape Cod charities.

"Stop talking about the Figawi," his wife Victoria Reggie Kennedy joked with reporters, adding that she and the senator might compromise and sail on Nantucket Sound Saturday to watch the race.

Being on the water, Kennedy said, is important to him, "It is closest to nature. It's an aspect of life, someplace we grew up on and an enriching experience."

Kennedy and his wife brought their dogs, Sunny and Splash, on their 50-foot boat for their second sail on Nantucket Sound since he returned home from Massachusetts General Hospital.

Kennedy had hoped to deliver the commencement address at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., Sunday, where his stepdaughter, Caroline Raclin, will be among the graduates. However, he has persuaded Sen. Barack Obama to stand in for him.