2024
With heartfelt thanks to all who have supported the mission of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race
Total Raised $55,038.30
Norfolk Rebel supporting GCBSR - $12,185.15
The “Tugantine” Norfolk Rebel is the first designed and built sail-assisted tug boat. Designed by Merritt Walter and built by Howdy Bailey Yacht Services, she was first launched on May 22, 1980 in Norfolk. Her design was to harness the wind to help save fuel. The late Captain Lane Briggs used her for towing and salvage work. He also escorted tall ships and participated in OpSail events. Captain Lane and his tugantine also helped to develop the waterfront at Norfolk’s Town Point Park.
In 1988 at the launching of Pride of Baltimore, Captain Lane challenged Captain Miles to a race down the Chesapeake Bay. The winner would buy the beer! From that challenge, the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race was born. Though he passed way in 2005, his spirit lives on in our love of the Chesapeake Bay and the schooners who sail here. Norfolk Rebel is sailing once again for the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, to keep Captain Lane’s vision alive.
For over 30 years now, the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race has been hard at work on its multifaceted mission: to promote awareness of the Chesapeake Bay’s heritage; to encourage preservation of the Bay’s resources; to support Chesapeake Bay education and clean-up efforts; to bring historic schooners to the Bay; and to encourage schooner sailing and preservation. The race brings focus to the maritime traditions of schooners on the Chesapeake and brings attention to the environmental issues facing the Bay’s ecosystem. All net proceeds of the race are donated to support youth education and other efforts aimed at preserving Bay ecology and culture. This is why the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race is proud to say they are “Racing to Save the Bay!”
Eleanor supporting The Landing School - $7,592.05
The Schooner Eleanor, launched in May 1999, was built in Kennebunkport by Captain Rich Woodman and a crew of local craftsmen to the lines of L. Francis Herreshoff’s 1935 Mobjack design.
Although her hull was constructed using modern techniques, Eleanor is in every other way a traditional gaff-rigged schooner. Spruce spars, mahogany transom, locust rails and hand carved trail boards all contribute to the beauty of this vessel. Flying four sails with a large teak cockpit and spacious cushioned cabin tops to stretch out on, the Eleanor will give you the feel of yachting in the 1930s.
Captain Rich shares his grandfather’s passion for boat building and carries on this tradition in the off-season by restoring and building custom wooden boats at his boat shop in Kennebunk. He has also taught wooden boat construction at The Landing School, which Eleanor sails to supports.
Jolly Dolphin supporting Mogothy River Association - $7,535.86
Jolly Dolphin is a wooden sailing vessel modeled on early Chesapeake Bay oyster dredgers. Referred to as a “three sail bateau,” or “two-masted skipjack,” it is a successor to the bugeye. Jolly Dolphin was built for a Delaware family for recreational use by James B. Richardson on LeCompte Creek, Maryland in 1958. From 1964 until 2007 she passed through the hands of a half dozen owners, and was abandoned ashore in 2004. Restored with the help of the Richardson Maritime Museum from 2007 to 2010, privately owned and maintained Jolly Dolphin has provided traditional sailing experiences for community outreach. Over the years Jolly Dolphin‘s passengers have included including middle school and high school STEM students, conservationists and Maryland history enthusiasts. She is currently berthed on the Magothy River.
Jolly Dolphin is proud to be sailing this year on behalf of the Magothy River Association, an organization that supports conservation and education on her home waterway. Magothy River Association works for the preservation and improvement of the water quality, plants, and wildlife of the Magothy River and its watershed. The organization’s efforts include a comprehensive oyster program that includes an oyster nursery, reef restoration, and a dive program to monitor oyster populations.
Virginia supporting Nauticus Foundation - $5,631.65
Downtown Norfolk, Schooner Virginia serves the Nauticus mission in engaging the Hampton Roads community with a focus on delivering transformative maritime experiences and hands on learning to students of all backgrounds and ages, museum visitors and the general public. The Schooner Virginia‘s programming emphasizes STEM education, maritime history, tall ship training, workforce development and the conservation of our local waterways.
Schooner Virginia is raising funds for the Nauticus Foundation, the nonprofit organization established to promote the mission and activities of Nauticus. Norfolk, Virginia’s Nauticus is an exciting interactive science and technology center that explores the naval, economic, and nautical power of the sea. It serves as home to the historic Battleship Wisconsin, the Schooner Virginia, and much more. The Nauticus Foundation’s mission is to benefit its community through education, impactful experiences and by sharing access to maritime resources.
Schooner Virginia is a loyal participant in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. The race is something supporters and volunteers look forward to each year. Virginia‘s participation in the virtual race not only helps raise critical revenue to support the foundation, but also to promote passion for tall ships and continued education for the public.
Adventurer supporting GCBSR Educational Grants - $5,363.46
Schooner Adventurer, captained by the renowned Duncan Hood, has been a part of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race for many years. This year she will be raising money for GCBSR’s Educational Grants.
Click here for video about Adventurer and the Virtual Race!
Windsong supporting Vessel Disposal and Reuse Foundation - $3,485.64
Schooner Windsong is a 47-foot Tancook Schooner designed by Ray Stevens of Nova Scotia. She was built by Guy H. Asbury between 1954 and 1960 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Much of her life was spent in New York; both around Long Island, and on Lake Ontario. Throughout her life she has been named Pleiades, Dream, John A. Noble, Chasseur, and Sara B. Windsong is now owned by Corey Roy and Bronwyn Comer, and is based out of Norfolk, Virginia.
Windsong is racing on behalf of the Vessel Disposal and Reuse Foundation, a Virginia Beach-based nonprofit that helps waterways achieve sustainable health through removal of abandoned and derelict vessels, public outreach, and education. Windsong owner Corey Roy met Mike Provost of the Vessel Disposal and Reuse Foundation last year at Norfolk’s Harborfest. The two share a passion for the continuing health of the Chesapeake Bay. Roy was impressed by the Foundation’s dedication and effectiveness in removing derelict vessels from the waterways connected to the lower Bay. Their partnership is a natural fit, and they are excited to be competing in this year’s Virtual Race.
Woodwind supporting Woodwind Educational Sails - $3,042.89
Schooner Woodwind was built to make sailing dreams come true back in 1993 by the Kaye family. For the past 29 years, guests from all over the world have sailed on her for public cruises, private events, multi-day cruises and educational cruises. Just 5 years later her sister, Woodwind II, set sail. Woodwind II is the “movie star” of the family – she played an important role in the movie Wedding Crashers. But it’s the classic Woodwind that sails every year in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race – and she’s known to be a fast competitor!
This year Woodwind is sailing on behalf of GCBSR’s Education Fund. Contributions to the Woodwind team will be used to facilitate shipboard educational programming. Over the past two years, Woodwind has used funds raised in the Virtual Race to take kids and families from the Annapolis community out sailing. Many of these kids and families would not typically have easy access to this experience. The sails are a partnership between The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, the Schooner Woodwind, the Annapolis Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Annapolis Mayor’s Office. These programs give young people an opportunity to experience the fun of sailing and the excitement that comes with it.
Farewell supporting Maryland Science Center - $2,798.47
Andy Merrill built Farewell in his backyard and launched her in 1972. Her second owner started racing the schooner in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race in the early years, and often won her class. Captain Linda Gunn purchased the schooner in 1998 after surviving cancer, and she has continued the tradition. A lover of schooners, Linda has served as Captain, Mate, and Educator aboard several different vessels. She now lives aboard Farewell, and is proud to be racing on behalf of the Maryland Science Center.
As Maryland’s largest institution dedicated to informal STEM learning, the Maryland Science Center provides valuable educational experiences both at their location in Baltimore and through outreach programming across the mid-Atlantic region. Whether they’re providing free field trip admission for every student in Maryland, offering teacher’s professional development opportunities, or expanding their outreach programs in every county, the Maryland Science Center relies on generous donors to help further their mission to inspire, empower, and engage through science education. With your help, the Maryland Science Center will be able to continue to spark excitement for STEM in the next generation.
Bennu supporting Severn River Association - $2,271.68
SV Bennu is a 1980 Cherubini 44 Ketch, designed by John Cherubini in the early 1970’s and built in Delran, NJ. She is a smaller sistership to the other Cherubini Schooner entries and is honored to be included in the new non-schooner invitational class of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. She is a well-traveled boat, and has completed a circumnavigation of the globe. Her current owner, Julianne DeGraw Fettus, has sailed her in the 2021 Annapolis to Newport Race, and has spent time cruising the waters of New England. Her home port, however, is on the Severn River in Maryland.
Bennu is sailing to support the Severn River Association. Their mission is to connect the people who live, work, and play on the Severn River to restore and protect it for all of our communities. The Association has a range of programs to help restore, protect, and educate about this amazing place. Among their outstanding efforts is their Build-a-Reef program, which has planted 70,000,000 baby oysters in the Severn River since 2018!
Luna supporting Colonial Seaport Foundation - $2,015.17
Over the course of 15 years, the Colonial Seaport Foundation has engaged in a fascinating project: building the sloop Luna from a bare hull. Luna is a working reproduction of an 18th-century sloop. She was built to be used as a floating classroom, focusing on colonial-era trade and commerce and the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay. She is also being outfitted as a sail cargo vessel, focusing on mid-Atlantic trading routes.
Luna‘s work supports the mission of the Colonial Seaport Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Deltaville, VA that works to preserve colonial America’s maritime heritage.
Bonny Rover supporting Elizabeth River Project - $1,694.26
Bonny Rover is a 64-foot topsail schooner whose raked masts, long bowsprit and fore squaresail evoke the sleek privateers of the Baltimore Clipper pedigree that guarded the Chesapeake during the War of 1812. She was designed by Merritt Walter as part of his Rover family and built in 1971 in Norfolk. Walter called Bonny home for a time and local salts still recall the splendor of her grand salon, with its aft windows reminiscent of a French warship, a Franklin stove that warmed hands and a Spinet piano that warmed hearts. Built in ferrocement, Bonny is no stranger to the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, and stills carries the First Place plaques from the first two editions.
Bonny Rover sails in support the Elizabeth River Project. The Project works to restore the Elizabeth River through equitable collaboration with diverse communities, businesses and governments.
Pride of Baltimore II supporting Pride of Baltimore II - $1,422.02
Pride of Baltimore II is a historically-evocative reproduction of the Baltimore Clipper style vessels made famous during the War of 1812. Capturing public imagination through unique worldwide voyages of discovery, Pride II honors Maryland seafarers of all eras and, wherever she sails, shares the innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and patriotism that forged and continues to define Maryland’s maritime identity. Since her commissioning in 1988, Pride II has sailed over 275,000 nautical miles and visited more than 200 ports in 40 countries. Her mission is to promote historical maritime education, foster economic development and tourism, and represent the people of Maryland in every port she visits.