Three decades ago, a group of students from St. Mary?s College of Maryland decided it would be fun to race sailboats from the current state capital in Annapolis to the original state capital in St. Mary?s City.
Thirty-three years later, the 2006 Governor?s Cup Yacht Race, still organized by St. Mary?s College, will kick off Friday at 6 p.m. from the Annapolis harbor. The sailors will arrive sometime early Saturday morning, 70 miles farther down the Chesapeake, on the banks of the St. Mary?s River, in sight of the small school with the rich sailing tradition. Nearly 160 yachts are expected to start this year?s race.
For the first time, the event will include athletes from the Maryland Special Olympics sailing program. Skipper Jim Muldoon, captain of the Donnybrook and chairman of the St. Mary College board, will carry one of the Special Olympics sailors. Muldoon?s 73-foot vessel set the course record in 1994, making the trip in 6 hours and 9 minutes.
With two reporters, a cameraman, the Special Olympic sailor and his coach stretching the crew to 20, Muldoon said his team might be slowed down a bit this year, but it?s worth it.
“We have been very involved with the Special Olympics since the World Games were held here and have a real affinity for the people involved,” Muldoon said. “We thought this would bring some publicity to the program. I?ve won a lot of sailing races; we?re not going to worry about that.”
The Special Olympics has had a relationship with the college for more than 15 years, said Tom Schneidwind, a Special Olympics spokesman.
He said their sailors train at the college weekly, and recently the school played host to the annual SOMD Regatta for about 100 teams. The school also played host to the Special Olympics International World Games Regatta in 1999.
“Give all the credit to St. Mary?s College and their president and their leadership,” Schneidwind said. “They?ve been forward-thinking advocates for the Special Olympic community for years.”
At the conclusion of the race, there will be a silent auction to raise funds for Special Olympics Maryland?s sailing programs. The winners of the previous weekend’s SOMD State Regatta, also conducted at St. Mary?s College, will present the Governor?s Cup trophies to the race winners.
The public is invited to the college for the finish of the race and the party.
On the Web
» www.smod.org
» www.smcm.edu/govcup
