Update from Race One in Lake Ontario

Waiting on the start…

After three glorious days at the Redpath Waterfront Festival Toronto, presented by PortsToronto,  the ships started the first race of the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Race Series. We had two very different ships participate – Pride of Baltimore II and Draken Harald Harfagre. With special help from the Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club, we had an awesome start with Pride of Baltimore II across the line within one minute of the cannon, followed three minutes later by Draken (no oars allowed!). Thank you to the wonderful Race Committee at Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club for a safe and well-organized start!

Photo ABYC

 

 

This summer, we have a race in each of the Great Lakes. Winners will be announced at each of the finishing ports. Winners for this first race will be announced during the Tall Ships® Fairport Harbor 2016.

Captain Jan Miles writes about the disparity between the two ships in his most recent blog post and provides some detail about life on board a tall ship during a race.

Captain’s Log : A millennium of difference that in fact is very little…

Date: Monday July 4th, 2016 American Independence Day

Time: 0900 EDT

Position: Western Lake Ontario 14 nautical miles northeast of Fort Niagara, New York, at the mouth of the Niagara River

 

PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II is part of a Millennium of Difference Race (my personal description). A race of sailing vessels of maybe the greatest difference of time of origin in the same race. The first of the 2016 Tall Ships America Great Lakes Tall Ships Challenge Race Series. Two vessels. The 9th Century era Viking Longboat DRAHKEN and the early 19th Century American Baltimore Clipper PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II. Only a thousand years apart in development. I wonder if this could be a record for spread of time between vessel origin in the Tall Ship Races of the world. It surely is for such races here in North America.

 

Right now the 19th Century Baltimore Clipper is demonstrating what it takes to be able to go to windward rather effectively. The Viking Longboat is actually doing impressively well sailing to windward with her single big square-sail. I would guess on average she is 20 degrees less weatherly and about a full knot and a half slower. Earlier in the race the wind was favorable for heading to the first mark, meaning there was no need to get to windward. DRAHKEN was again slower but not by much. And when the wind went right aft PRIDE had to reach away from the rhumbline course to the mark to keep blanketing wind her fore & aft sails. DRAHKEN merely shifted her single yard to square.

You can read the remainder of this update on the Pride of Baltimore’s blog>>> 

This year’s races are sponsored by Erie Insurance.