By Emma Stark
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Lisa Navone walks across the deck of her boat—books squeaking from the pelting rain, hair ripping through the wind—taking stock of the supplies on the boat and deciding what can be removed.
“We’re trying to lighten the load on the boat cause it’s very windy,” said Navone, owner and crew member of True Love. “Regardless, we’re excited.”
The 30th Annual Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race occurred from Oct. 15 to Oct. 21. The official race was to take place Oct. 17 but was delayed a day due to gale-force winds creating dangerous conditions for the sailors.
The race starts south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and ends in Norfolk, Virginia, making the race over 100 nautical miles of sailing. The race consists of 30 schooners of various sizes ranging from 21 feet to 76 feet long.
Both newcomers and seasoned schooners come to compete in the race. One newcomer to the race was True Love, a 93-year-old schooner built in 1926. True Love is a Malabar VII designed and built by John Alden to be a racer, giving the new crew high hopes of doing well.
“We thought it’d be fun,” Navone said. “We are excited to be a part of something.”
In preparation for the high winds, crews reefed their sails and removed unneeded items to lighten the boats and move faster. By reefing, crews reduced the amount of exposed sail area to provide better stability and safety in the high winds.
“We’ve already put reefs in our sails, that’s what everyone’s doing,” said Al Roper, a crew member on the Norfolk Rebel. “Putting reefs in means there are ties that bunch up the bottom of the sail for when it’s really windy.”
Roper has been racing since 1989 when the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race first began. He joined as crew member on the Norfolk Rebel and remains a crew member to this day. The Norfolk Rebel is a 33-foot-long “tugantine,”—a cross between a tug boat and a schooner—and was the original boat to challenge the Pride of Baltimore II to a race that started it all.
Since Roper started sailing, he’s felt a connection to all the other sailors, creating a since of home.
“In the schooner world, you go anywhere and see one and you’ve got a mutual friend,” Roper said.
Steven Briggs, Captain of the Norfolk Rebel, lives on board the craft when he isn’t driving his tugboat. Like other sailors prepping for the race, Briggs reefed his sails and looked at the weather radar securing and storing supplies in tight. Briggs looks forward to the race each year.
“The camaraderie of the all the boaters,” Briggs said. “That’s one of the best parts.”
The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race raises money and awareness for the environmental protection of the bay. It is a non-profit organization that has raised $177,628 so far. It also includes an education program for the children of Baltimore as well. The education program works with kids from local schools and teaches them how to sail as well as how to keep the bay clean and why it is important.
“It’s educational, but it’s also a lot of fun,” Brittany Wood, Downtown Sailing Center and education program leader, said.
With the high winds, sailors expect the race to take just under 12 hours to complete. The sails are reefed, the loads are lightened, and the sailors are ready. Regardless of the rain and the wind, the sailors are looking forward to the race.
“It’s kinda fun,” Paul Carroll said. “Gives you more things to pay attention to.”