Portsmouth, Va. -The 26th Annual schooner race is a benefit boaters’ race that helps raise awareness to preserve our water ways.
The race began in Baltimore on Thursday, October 15, 2015 and ended in Portsmouth on Saturday, October 17, 2015. It was a sight to see as boaters were docked in both the North Landing and High Street Landing harbors.
The event was first started by the late Lane Briggs of Rebel Marine Service and has been a prominent success among the community and its volunteers for 23 years.
Virginian Chairman Susan Heely says everything the volunteers do is to help preserve water heritage and to educate people about water ways preservation.
“Everything within the organization, the volunteers, the food, the workers, is done by donation. All of the proceeds go to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation education programs,” says Heely.
Both Portsmouth and Baltimore Public Schools came out to support the event. The children worked on several educational programs aboard many of the vessels which included science projects dealing with the waterways and sail lore.
Nan Nawrocki, chairman of the board of directors for the event, says the biggest focus is to raise money for education.
“Volunteers coordinate all the efforts arranging logistics and hospitality for the vessels and the crew. The people that come out to work are really dedicated people, and that’s what makes what we do so special. The longevity of the volunteers is appreciated, so is the comradery of people getting together and working for the cause because they do it from their heart and believe in what they’re doing.”
The clubs that sponsor this annual event are Town Point Yacht Club of Portsmouth VA, and Fell’s Point Yacht Club of Baltimore MD.
