This week’s cruise includes a spectacle not seen anywhere else in the world: an amazing congregation of big working sail vessels all arriving and anchoring in the same beautiful island harbor the night before a fine day of racing around Penobscot Bay. (Mary Day has won a number of times but has been bested enough to make it a great race.) Folks always ask if we have passengers aboard during the race. You bet! And we hope you help trim the sails. Don’t worry, if you are new to sailing we will be glad to show you the ropes.
Schooner Mary Day charging along in the Great Schooner Race
The 2012 Great Schooner Race is about to change venues in a new and very
exciting way. Some of you know that we usually gather with the fleet the
night before a fairly unpredictable day of racing. Post-race activities have
been quite mild for the last few years. Well hang on to your hats because
the post race events have taken a bit of a festive turn this year. The fleet
will gather before the race in Rockland on Thursday night for a gam (raft
up). Friday morning the captains will meet with the esteemed race committee
to chart the course for Camden. The fleet will gather in Camden for a post
race party including awards, music and dancing at the world class yachting
facilities at Wayfarer Marine, the large shipyard that occupies the north
side of the Camden waterfront. Schooners will be dockside so everyone can
walk to the event. We are excited to be finishing the race with a fete
celebrating the day’s events and the vessels’ guests, captains and crew.
Sign up soon for the Maine windjammer racing event of the summer.
Windjammers Angelique and Lewis R French racing in the Maine Windjammer Association Great Schooner Race
