Thursday was a picture-perfect day at the historic City Dock in Annapolis. Cool breezes guided the fleet of yachts in the Parade of Sail from Baltimore to safe harbor in the State Capital for the start of the Maryland Maritime Heritage Festival.
“There?s tremendous excitement here,” shouted a breathless Jan Hardesty, public information officer from Annapolis.
“All the flags on the boats are fluttering and from where I am [on the dock], I can see the Presidential Seal on the yacht Sequoia,” he said.
Back in September, the 70-foot yachts in the Volvo Ocean Race sailed from the rugged Northwestern coast of Galicia, Spain, for the globe-trotting race on the high seas. With nine legs (or stops) of the race, that included Baltimore as the sixth, the competition has been dubbed the “world?s greatest offshore yachting event.” Seven of the competitors include two Dutch syndicates, the representative from Brazil, Australia and the Disney-sponsored “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
The Maryland Maritime Heritage Festival was created in 2001 to recognize the importance of Annapolis and Eastport?s maritime activity.
From today to Sunday, the festival, in addition to saluting the yachts, features dozens of colorful exhibits celebrating life and culture on the waterfront. Daily concerts in a variety of genres include The United States Naval Academy Band.
On Sunday, the fleet departs Annapolis for the start of Leg 6, heading north for a pit stop in New York City beforeheading to Portsmouth, England.
“They will be going under the Bay Bridge and [the bridge] it will be open to 60,000 pedestrians,” Hardesty said.
Stephanie Duncan of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel Convention and Visitors Bureau is thrilled at what will be “worldwide exposure” for the town.
Want to go?
WHAT: Maryland Maritime Heritage Festival
WHERE: City Dock, Annapolis Dock
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
ADMISSION: Free
PHONE: 410-268-2114 or visit www.mdmhf.org
