Columbia to join parade of sail for Iberdrola Tall Ships® Portland 2015 festival

141' replica of classic Gloucester fishing schooner to join over a dozen other vessels sailing into Portland Harbor to open festival

Portland, Maine - A replica of a classic Gloucester fishing schooner has been added to the list of sailing ships that will parade into Portland Harbor on July 18 to open the Iberdrola Tall Ships® Portland 2015 festival. The 141' Columbia was built along the exact lines of a famous fishing schooner that was lost with all hands near Sable Island, Nova Scotia, in 1927.

"The original Columbia was an iconic and famous Gloucester fishing schooner and was a great
example of the kind of ship that New England fishermen used in the early 20th century," said Alex Agnew, President of Sailing Ships Portland and Chair of Iberdola USA Tall Ships® Portland. "And this replica was built from the original plans and looks just like the real thing. It's almost as if the original schooner was brought back to life and will be sailing into Portland Harbor later this week."

The Parade of Sail will take place on Saturday, July 18, beginning at 1:45 with vessels sailing past Portland Head Light and into the Fore River before docking on the Portland Waterfront.

A dozen ships, including vessels like the 295' US Coast Guard Barque Eagle or the 170' El Galeon from Spain, will be open to the public on Sunday and Monday, July 19-20. In addition to the tall ships, the festival will include local food, music and vendors. For more information on the festival, and to buy tickets go to: http://www.tallshipsportland.com.

The Columbia will take part in the parade of sail but will not be available for boarding.

TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® 2015 Atlantic Coast series of tall ships races and maritime festivals is organized by Tall Ships America.

TALL SHIPS AMERICA is the hub for tall ships activity, information and expertise in North America, and is commended by the United States Congress as the national sail training organization representing the United States. As a national membership organization, TALL SHIPS AMERICA supports the people, ships and programs of sail training and tall ships through professional development grants, sail training scholarships, conferences, education, publications, regulatory and licensing information, public events and advocacy.

For more information, go to: http://www.tallshipsportland.com.