A trip to the cool climes of Canada comes not a moment too soon. It is a sweltering 90 degrees today and this past weekend found me hopping from one air conditioned venue to another while moving very, very slowly. According to our Fleet Tracker, ships are starting to make their way north to Halifax, leaving behind the heat wave in the Northeast and heading to the much more comfortable 70 degrees of Nova Scotia. I leave tomorrow morning and I can’t wait. Halifax always does such an amazing job with their event and this year, they will be showcasing their maritime history by highlighting the War of 1812.
We have an awesome fleet of tall ships to line the waterfront of Halifax and ships will be open for boarding over the weekend. “America’s Tall Ship” USCGC Eagle and Roseway will both be joining us again (they were in Savannah with us) along new additions, Amistad, Bluenose II, Harvey Gamage, Appledore IV, Larinda, Mar II and Sorca.
It is hard to believe that Tall Ships® Nova Scotia is our last event of the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Race Series! It seems like only last week we were saying hello to crew in Savannah. By this time next week, we’ll be saying goodbye. The summer always goes by so fast…Stay tuned for race updates and our last Parade of Sail of the season on the 23rd.
Pride of Baltimore II sails toward the Newport Bridge during the Parade of Sail
Last night at the wonderful volunteer thank you party, sponsored by Newport Grand, there were smiles all around on tired, tan faces. As volunteers, ship liaisons, and port organizers were basking in the glow of a job well done, we couldn’t help but reflect on how quickly the time went from that first volunteer training session so many weeks ago. An event of this size demands a large volunteer contingent and Newport came through in spades. All the applause, compliments and praise was well deserved. Read the rest of this entry »
They said it would be a sprint. A continuous six hours to achieve the longest distance possible. Every vessel could start wherever they wanted, going in any direction, under any conditions. And if they thought they could do better? Well, each vessel gets four days to try and try again. So what does this mean? No start line, no finish line, no competitors but ourselves. We are racing ourselves.
Captain Miles said the weather was forecast to be blowing out of the southwest as we were to depart into Long Island Sound. That coupled with the flood tide would be great conditions. We left the dock noon on Tuesday rejuvenated and jubilant after a relaxing weekend in Greenport. We ended up in an impromptu parade of sail between Picton Castleand Bounty. Picton Castle was on our starboard beam as we raised our sails and hopefully got within earshot as we chanted, “What’s up- PICTON!” Read the rest of this entry »
It wasn’t the best race due to the fact that the wind was coming straight at the ships, and no one made it past the finish line before time ran out, but we still had ships out on the water trying to work with what Mother Nature was throwing at them (you can read about Pride of Baltimore II’s experience here). Last night at the Greenport crew party, Tall Ships America Executive Director Bert Rogers presented the awards to the top four vessels. Eagle will be joining us again in Halifax but we had a visiting captain accept the award on their behalf. As a special surprise, we had the captain and officers of the Indonesian naval vessel, Dewaruci, drive out to the very end of Long Island from New York City (where the ship is currently berthed at Staten Island) to accept their award. No band with them, unfortunately, but the captain could not have been more pleased to have been honored. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the many aspects that goes into a successful tall ship event is the ship liaison program. A ship liaison is kind of like a local handler for a tall ship, someone who knows where to find anything a ship might need, or at least knows who to call. A ship is an out of town guest and the liaison is there to show the best their city has to offer. It’s a tough job but immensely fulfilling since the liaison becomes a part of the crew for the ships stay in port. They arrive for breakfast and they remain on board until dinner, ensuring that everything from the event side runs smoothly. It is a lot of work but the relationships that are formed can last for years.
This year in Savannah, we had a wonderfully talented and diverse group of local liaisons. I immediately bonded with the hilarious Janet McCrary, co-owner of Wiley’s Championship BBQ, who was assigned to lucky Alliance. Feeding and caring of tall ships is a tall order and, based on the smile on Janet’s face throughout the festival, one that was thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, Janet had such a great time, she made a slideshow about her experience.
The coolest shot of the day. That’s a ray leaping with one of the French ships in the background
As the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE(r) team readjusts to life in the cold North (rainy and in the 50′s for the past week. Re-entry was harsh), the vessels are heading up the coast and will meet us in Greenport for their Memorial Day Weekend event (24-28 May). The race from Savannah to Cape Fear has concluded and the ever-vigilant Captain Trost is speedily working out the results. Because all of these ships have different rigs and are different sizes, we have special handicap ratings for each vessel to make it a bit more fair. It was a tough race with the wind coming out of the northeast as the ships tried to make their way north. Two ships had to retire from the race early, while others never made it past the start line in the time limit allotted. Regardless, we race on! Fingers crossed for more favorable conditions for our race out of Greenport. Read the rest of this entry »
Tall Ships Challenge Race #1 – Savannah to Cape Fear.
PRIDE got off to a Weatherly advantage at the start of the first Tall Ships Challenge race for 2012. But that does not mean it was a comfortable experience. 15-20 knot conditions on the bow after such winds have been blowing for 24 hours is not a lot of fun. Heavy weight to setting and trimming sails. Significant sea swell of 6 odd feet to bash against. Significant angle of heel for everyone to stumble over with a leaping PRIDE along with spray on deck and some down below because a hatch was carefully left open for ventilation…forgetting that water could also go down it. Some bunks got wet. Still good for sleeping in though after a very physical time of it on deck.
Note: The Race Team has arrived back home today so stay tuned this week for updates on the last day of the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE (R) Savannah festival and the very rainy Parade of Sail , with photos and vide0s!
Why not sail in the Irish Sea Tall Ship Regatta, or participate in the race from Lisbon to Cadiz? You could even sail from Coruna to Dublin! Sail Training International and the Sultanate of Oman are offering to help you try something a little different this summer.
Available to any young person (aged between 15-25) regardless of background, physical ability or sailing experience, the Sultanate of Oman Bursary Scheme will help fund up to 100 young people each year from around the world to benefit from the life-changing experience gained from participation in races and regattas organised by Sail Training International.
The Sultanate of Oman will invest €50,000 to assist young people each year with a particular emphasis on those who are financially disadvantaged or with a physical disability. A maximum of €500 (about $660 US) will be awarded to each selected trainee.
Oman has a long-standing relationship with events organised by Sail Training International and a commitment to youth development. The name of the Navy of Oman’s own ship, Shabab Oman, means ‘Youth of Oman’ and the ship has won our prestigious International Friendship Trophy no fewer than eight times! A huge achievement as the trophy is decided via a secret ballot voted by the participating Captains and their crews.
We should be out at sea right now, enroute to Stavanger, Norway. Instead, our docklines remain firmly fixed to the concrete pier of Shetland. Outside, the wind howls for the third day in a row, now joined by the cold rain. Even within our ship we wear multiple layers for warmth, sometimes with even our winter coats, caps and mitts on to keep away the chill of the northern winds that bellow down from arctic regions. Winter gear? Isn’t this July?
It may be summer but this is the Shetland Islands. Here, we are only a mere few degrees from the Arctic circle at this latitude. When we depart, we will sail ‘south’ to Norway. It says something about how north you are when you are sailing south to Norway!
For better or worse, the race is delayed and we wait. Regardless of the cold, we are far from bored. Lerwick has given the ships a welcome and festival with warmth far in excess of the frowning weather. These maritime people seem to understand well the needs of a ship and its crew, with ample facilities and entertainment in offer.
55.42.6′N x 5.18.1′W – Loch Ranza, Isle of Arran, Scotland
The race is finished and early at that. Our sails crossed the line at 13:23 (1:23pm) on the 5th. Columbia’s Gloria, our closest, constant competitor for the race, trailed us by a mere 5 minutes. We expect a good placement in the race, but the results will have to wait until the
official announcements in Greenock. I was surprised to see us finish ahead of Gloria, as I distinctly remember us scrambling to set our studding sails as she closed in behind us, looming larger every time I glanced backwards. She passed us just as we set our third and final studding sail but was unable to continue to plow ahead of us. Our extra sails probably gave us just enough speed to keep up with (and eventually overtake) the much larger Gloria.
The lax wind of the 3rd and 4th gave way to a strong, steady, and fresh breeze. We knew this race to Scotland via the Irish Sea would not last long when we began to surge ahead at 9-10 knots with the wind behind our ears and the sea at our backs!
