The rockets? red glare and bombs bursting in air were not seen as the fleet sailed up the harbor and passed Fort McHenry on Monday. The embattled fort, however, was the best location from which to view the push to the finish line for Leg Five of the Volvo Ocean Race. The region is welcoming the global event for the third time. Synchronized with the Port of Baltimore?s 300th anniversary celebrations, the renowned race brings international attention to Baltimore and Annapolis, where the racing boats will head before departing from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge May 7.
Adequate clearance is required in the waterways to accommodate the larger vessels now participating in the race. In anticipation of this leg of the race, the Maryland Port Administration provided placement of about 30,000 cubic yards of sediment dredged from channels in both the Annapolis and Baltimore harbors. Dredging took take place near the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore and the channel leading into Annapolis Harbor.
The dredging work ensures that each sailing participant will have smooth entrance and departure through both harbors, according to MPA officials.
“The Volvo Ocean Race is important to the state of Maryland and the dredged sediment will have beneficial use,” said Frank Hamons, MPA director of harbor development. “Ultimately, all the containment material will be used.”
Approximately 15,000 cubic yards of material dredged form Baltimore Harbor will go to Hart-Miller Island. The south cell at Hart-Miller was dedicated last year as a 300-acre wildlife habitat.
“Through an extreme outreach program with citizens, state legislators and partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, all 1,140 acres of Hart-Miller Island will bea wildlife habitat,” Hamons said. Another 15,000 cubic yards of dredged sediment from Annapolis Harbor will go to the Cox Creek containment project in Anne Arundel County. An 11-acre tidal wetland at Cox Creek has recently been developed with the help of local communities, providing additional wildlife habitat within the Baltimore Harbor.
Leg Six of the endurance race will continue with a stopover in New York before throttling ahead to England. The circumnavigation ends June 17 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
In Baltimore, the Volvo Ocean Race will be the highlight of the Baltimore Waterfront Festival, which runs April 27-30. An “in port” race is planned for April 29.
A longtime export analyst and consultant, Joseph Hughes? maritime-related articles have appeared in numerous publications. He is a native Baltimorean, who now lives in Harford County.
