St. Lawrence II Wins Race

Great Lakes United, Tall Ships Challenge 2010, Race to Save the Lakes. Upon arriving at the ASTA tallship event hosted by the port of Cleveland we decided to join leg one of the "Race to save the lakes". This race was 32 nautical miles long, from Cleveland to Pelee passage. To participate in the race we needed a performance rating. This required measurements of various parts of the vessel. The crew was kept busy for an afternoon measuring various parts of the rig and sails. We were then able to submit our particulars for the race committee's calculations. The performance rating is a correction given to each ship, like a golf handicap; it corrects each vessels speed based on hull shape, sail area and placement of sails. If two vessels were sailed equally they would have an equal "corrected" time after a race.

The race started just outside Cleveland harbour. The wind was forecast to be from the South West. This would give all the vessels a comfortable sail straight towards the finish line. There were two separate starts. First was the class "A" vessels. These are the large square rigged vessels such as the Europa and the Rold Almudson. The class "A" vessels started strongly with the wind behind them. At 1230 the class "B, C and D" vessels started. The wind was still blowing force 3 from the SW. The different classes are set up so that the very large vessels (class "A") that have a much faster maximum speed due to their sheer size and the smaller vessels (classes B,C&D) can compete squarely.

Shortly after the Second start (we are class "B") the wind started to veer slowly. Ever so slowly the wind moved from SW up to WSW and on to west. The crew was constantly working on the sail trim to keep the vessel moving as fast as she could go in the prevailing circumstances.

As we approached Avon point we noticed that the class "A" vessels were no longer going straight towards the finish line. The wind had finally shifted. It was blowing straight from the finish line. We continued on until we reached Avon point where we were forced to alter course and sail "full'n'by" clawing our way to windward and to the finish line. Until this wind shift many of the vessels had been keeping in fairly close company. The Pathfinder our sister ship had been following us at a distance. The Dennis Sullivan to our lee was slowly falling to our stern, the Lynx, to weather of us had felt the wind shift along with the Pride of Baltimore II who was well out in front. The Appledore V who was to be our closest competition throughout the race was slightly ahead and to our lee.

With the change of wind came a change in the race. Downwind vessels such as the Dennis Sullivan started to slow down. We passed her handily as we continued to work to weather. By sundown the Dennis Sullivan the Pathfinder and the Lynx were no longer in contention. It would be a long 5 hours to the end of the race as we continually adjusted our sails to the shifting winds. At this point any wind that was not caught could mean the difference between winning or loosing. The wind was light and variable until there was only one hour left in the race. The race is limited to time so that should the vessels be becalmed there can be a resolution to the event without waiting weeks. The vessels submit their positions at the end of the time period and the appropriate corrections are made.

With one hour left before the race would be finishing it was time to work hard to keep the sail trim correct. The wind had filled in enough to keep everyone moving steadily closer. Would anyone make it across the finish line before the time was up? Then came 0030! It was time to call in our positions. With the Appledore V in close contention would we be ahead or not. We were 6 miles from the finish line and the difference between us was 600 feet. The Pride of Baltimore II was ahead but she had not crossed the finish line either. What would the correction be from all the work we had done when we arrived in Cleveland? Would it be enough to beat the Pride of Baltimore II, the tops'l schooner that was built for speed and consistently wins the schooner races down east? Could the St Lawrence II and her crew of teenaged boys and girls from all over the region and the world from Kingston Ontario have beaten one of the renowned racing schooners of our day! A week later we had our answer. It could be! We had WON!

We had indeed sailed carefully and hard through the various points of sail. Through the shifting winds around sunset, the steady reach and the night rush toCongratulations to her crew of boys and girls who have sailed well and have an experience of a lifetime that can be remembered for many years to come. Children and grandchildren will no doubt hear from ma or pa about the "race to save the lakes" that was put on by the American Sail Training Association and Great Lakes United and how the Brigantine St Lawrence II sailed to victory.

Captain Dugald Henderson
August 25, 2010