The Great Schooner Race Friday

"Every summer since 1977, the Maine Windjammer Association has hosted the Great Schooner Race, providing an opportunity for captains, crews and passengers aboard traditional vessels from all over the Eastern Seaboard to rendezvous for a fun day of racing.


Hailed as "the largest annual gathering of traditional schooners in America," this year at least twenty schooners are expected to participate in the 42nd Annual Great Schooner Race scheduled to take place on July 6th in Penobscot Bay.

The history of racing these magnificent wooden coasting schooners started over a century ago with sailors trying to beat their competitors to market. The first boat back to port always got the best price for their cargo—perhaps fish, lumber, granite or even Christmas trees. The "Race" was always unspoken, but ever present.

Needless to say, sailors have always been independent types. Contributing to the Great Schooner Race’s quirkiness, it is one of the only sailing events in the world that requires no prior sailing experience on the part of the participants!"
                  Maine Windjammer Association http://www.greatschoonerrace.com/

A great view of the exciting finish of the race can be had at the Rockland Breakwater Light mid afternoon on Friday.

Photos provided by Maine Windjammer Project

The Maine Windjammer Project started in 2007 to preserve the modern history of the Maine Windjammer and to make it available to the generations to come.

This historical archive is available to museums and for historical research.

For more info contact: dougmills@shootmainestudios.com

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