Doug Mills
Maritime Editor
RCN America Network
Penobscot Bay Maine-Last
night seems like a dream. Standing on deck watching as the historic
tall ships of the Maine windjammer fleet sail into the small harbor
on Islesboro Island Maine.
Today is The Great Schooner Race. The
Maine Windjammer Association has sponsored this race every year since
1977. I am very excited and head up on deck very early. The site
that I find is nearly impossible for me to convey with words. The
morning sun is just climbing over the horizon. The water is like a
blue mirror. The air is still and cool. All around our anchorage
are historic ships ranging in age from about 30 years to 143 years
old with the new morning sun and perfect reflections in the cool blue
water.
By 8AM the captains have started to
arrive for the prerace meeting. The days race course is laid out and
and the start times for the various classed of ship have been
established. After a group shot of all the captains it is time for
them to return to their individual ships and make ready for the start
of the race.
The captains of the historic Maine windjammer fleet. |
The race start. |
By mid afternoon we round the ledge and
make for Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse with a stiff wind. The old
Victory Chimes healed over in the wind and flying across the bay, the
rest of the fleet in close pursuit. We reach the lighthouse along
with most of the fleet to the cheers of the crowd of spectators who
have gatherer to watch the end of the race. One after the other the
ships fly into the harbor to make their turn around the marker in the
middle of the harbor and head out again to the last mark and return
like a flock of screaming eagles to the finish line at the Rockland
Breakwater Lighthouse.
Mary
Day
Flying Jib Class:
Flying Jib Class:
Lazy
Jack II (1st); Olad (2nd); Prudence (3rd)
Coasters
Class:
Stephen
Taber (1st); Grace Bailey (2nd); Lewis R. French (3rd)
Leeward
Class:
Nathaniel
Bowditch (1st); Angelique (2nd); Heritage (3rd)
Windward
Class:
Mary
Day (1st), American Eagle (2nd)
3-Masters
Class:
Victory
Chimes (1st!)
Frank
Swift Award:
Isaac
H. Evans
Boyd
Guild Award:
J&E
Riggin
The Great Schooner Race is over for this year and if you missed it you missed one of the most exciting events of the year. Not to worry, you can still experience the thrill of being on one of these ships next year and there is still room on many trips this summer.
For
more information or to book your trip on one of these historic ships
you can go to: http://sailmainecoast.com/
the Web site of the Maine Windjammer Association.
Maty Day overall winner! |
Angelique |
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