You might call it the fleet that can’t be beat. A fleet of majestic schooners will travel down the Bay this month when the GreatChesapeake Bay Schooner Race (GCBSR) gets underway October 16.
Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race never disappoints.
The race is a friendly competition that sends schooners and other traditional vessels from Baltimore to Norfolk, beginning at a start line set just south of the Bay Bridge, near Annapolis.
Some years, the skippers and crews are handed amazing conditions—fresh breeze from the north, an ebb current, a full moon, following seas. Other years they might be subjected to wind on the nose, a flood tide, or no wind at all (when the later two combine, vessels sometimes drop anchor just to keep from losing ground!).
No matter the conditions, year after year, schooner sailors look forward to the festivities and the competition. The race and its ancillary events are an annual opportunity like no other, in which schooner racers, a very special group indeed, enjoy the camaraderie as much or more than the competition.
This year, the GCBSR race follows the Fells Point Fun Festival, which will unfold October 10-12. The festival is a weekend of music, food, shopping, and community spirit that supports the local waterfront community. Many of the GCBSR vessels will be taking out passengers for sailing trips from the docks at Fells Point.
Before and after the race, the public is invited to dockside viewing of the vessels in Baltimore (pre-race) and Norfolk (post-race). Spectators are encouraged to take in the Parade of Sail on Wednesday, October 15. The parade will begin at 5 p.m. and is best viewed from Canton, Fells Point, Harbor East, and Inner Harbor shorelines.
For race scoring purposes, the fleet is split into classes roughly divided by rated vessel length. There are four schooner classes and the invitational non-schooner class. AA- and A-Class vessels race 118 nautical miles to Thimble Shoals. The official race for B-, C-, and N-Class vessels ends at Windmill Shoals (the 83-mile mark), but boats are welcome to race to Thimble Shoals for bragging rights and award-night mention. The non-schooner class is open to traditional vessels (such as sloops, ketches, yawls, and workboats of roughly 1950s and earlier design) and to vessels operated by organizations with a mission that aligns with the GCBSR.
In addition to the on-water race, each year the GCBSR also hosts a Virtual Race, a fundraiser that seeks to promote awareness of the Bay’s heritage, encourage preservation of the Bay’s resources, support Bay education and clean-up efforts, bring historic schooners to the Bay, and encourage schooner sailing and preservation. This year the participating vessels, their captains, crew, and supporters raised approximately $72,000.
Race, Parade, and Shoreside Events
Dates: October 14-19
Baltimore Public Events, October 14-16
Tuesday: Open Docks from noon to 7 p.m. at Anchorage Marina
Wednesday: Expeditionary learning experiences for students, Open Docks 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Parade of Sail at 5 p.m.,
Race Start: Thursday, October 16 at noon, just south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Norfolk Public Events, October 18
Saturday: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Schooners may be viewed dockside at Freemason Harbor at the Pagoda. Some may be open for tours.
Learn more: gcbsr.org.
