Gloucester Schooner Festival
Photo by Dimetrious Athas What is the Gloucester Schooner Festival? The Gloucester Schooner Festival celebrates the major contribution of the classic fishing schooner to the history of Gloucester. The events feature the last remaining of these great old vessels and their replicas, as they compete in the Mayor's Race for the Esperanto Cup, a trophy from the first International Fishermen's Races sailed in 1920. For two days the city's harbor, the oldest fishing port on the Atlantic Coast, is the backdrop for a unique mix of old and new as modern-day trawlers share their home port with traditional vessels from the age of sail. The Lannon participated in the twenty-third annual Gloucester Schooner Festival over Labor Day Weekend, 2007. Although the Schooner Bluenose II from Lunenburg, Canada was unable to attend, there were lots of big schooners here for the weekend. This festival is becoming a popular place to be on Labor Day weekend. The Schooners Virginia, Pride of Baltimore, Alabama, American Eagle, Lettie G. Howard, Liberty Clipper, and the Spirit of Massachusetts all came to race. Friendship of Salem came too. The Parade of Sail went off without a hitch, though light air at the start of Sunday's Mayor's Race made for a very long day for many vessels. But the fireworks Saturday night were exceptional. Warm weather all weekend made for a delightful end to summer. We look forward to an equally exciting 24th Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival on Saturday and Sunday, August 30th and 31st, 2008. And what better way to see these vessels in action than to join us for the day as we race for the Cameron Cup! Here's the deal: Passengers usually board at about 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning, while Captain Tom is at the Captains meeting getting the course for the race and any other final details. We leave the dock by 8:45 a.m. The Parade of Sail begins near Cape Pond Ice Co. at 9:00 a.m. The Lannon has the honor of leading the Parade. All the schooners get their sails up and cruise by Stacy Boulevard for Joe Garland's introduction. Of course, a little cannon firing is in order to salute the spectators who have gathered to watch the show! Then, it's a sail past Stage Fort Park, and more cannon saluting. (Barry Pett is usually there setting off a fireworks salute to each vessel as she passes by). The Parade then heads out through the outer harbor and past the Breakwater. The starting line is usually located just outside Dogbar Breakwater, off Eastern Point. The jockeying for position and strategizing for the start makes for an interesting half-hour til the race begins at 11:10 a.m. The Large and Small Classes of Schooners start together (The Lannon is in the Small Schooner class). The Little Schooners start a short time later. The rest of the day is spent trying to win the race. The crew is constantly adjusting sail, trying to tweak just a little more speed from the sail trim. The course might be north toward Rockport and back, or south toward Magnolia and Manchester. Weather conditions are different each year, so there is no way to plan for how things will turn out. But whether there is plenty of wind or no wind at all, it's still a lot of fun to witness first hand. This year, there was virtually no wind at the start of the race. We sat at the starting line fighting the tide for more than an hour. Finally the breeze came up and we were able to make some headway. There were several schooners who were not positioned as well and weren't able to make it over the starting line for three hours. Light air favors the smaller boats, and we were able to beat all the traditional vessels this year. There were three lighter boats in our class who finished well ahead of the pack. (Race results are below). It is always an awesome sight to see these magnificent schooners under full sail! Our passengers were not disappointed. Other years: In 2006, we were a little overanxious and then had to stall coming up to the start. The close proximity of the other schooners made for a very exciting start. We were battling with Liberty Clipper, Roseway and the Spirit of Massachusetts for the first couple of legs. At one point we were practically eating Roseway's main boom and could definitely have passed the grey poupon to them! After a couple of legs, and some fancy sail handling, we were able to get in front of most of the traditional boats. After the race, we sailed out to join Bluenose. Sailing back next to her under full sail was such a thrill for our passengers. I'm sure none of them will forget it. 2005's was a very exciting race, as we nailed the start and lead the pack around the first mark...around the second mark...around the third mark and heading to the finish line. Oh no, here comes Adventurer on our outside trying to sail past and steal our wind. We fought a valiant race, but were edged out by Adventurer by a mere 13 seconds! Our passengers include photographers, artists, visitors and locals who just love being part of the event. Some help the crew and actually handle lines as we race, while others choose to socialize, watch the action or just relax. Many make their reservations for the next year before they get off the boat on Race Day. So think about joining us next Labor Day Sunday for a day of fun. Bring your lunch, binoculars, camera, and a bag with layers of clothing. A hat, sunblock, polar fleece and a windbreaker are good to include. Because of our license, no carry-on liquor is allowed. But we do have beer, wine and champagne available for sale. Soft drinks, bottled water and snacks are on us. You will be on the boat until the race is over, generally until between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., depending on the wind. The cost is $165/person for the day. Space is limited, so don't miss out. It is sure to be an amazing day. Call us and reserve your spot soon! |
