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Thursday, March 28, 2024

America’s visit gives passengers the ‘tall-ship’ experience

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By Elly Colwell

Intern

Passengers dodged lines and broke out in applause as a replica of the historic schooner America coasted through Banks Chanel and docked at Carolina Yacht Club on Saturday afternoon. This excursion was one of six opportunities for the public to set sail on the America, the namesake for the international sailing regatta America’s Cup, during its four day stop at the yacht club this weekend.

Even a slight mishap when the ship accidentally interrupted a lightning regatta as it prepared to dock didn’t ruin the positivity around the trip. The smaller boats simply maneuvered around the America, and in the spirit of sailing, passenger Jeff Hall said no one seemed to be too upset.

“It was a beautiful day out there,” Hall said. “We went out through the inlet and out into the open ocean. We almost made it to Johnny Mercer’s.”

Hall and his mother, Bennie Hall, drove from Chapel Hill and Holden Beach to be a part of this unique opportunity, where they were among the more than 70 passengers aboard the ship. It was an experience that had extra meaning for the pair because Jeff Hall saw the modern day America’s Cup when it was hosted in San Francisco in 2013.

The group sailing experiences were the result of collaboration between the Carolina Yacht Club and Captain Troy Sears’ crew in an effort to raise awareness and revive interest in the America’s Cup before it takes place in Bermuda in 2017. And it was a group experience, as passengers got to take part in the duties of sailing.

“Every sail went up, and everyone got to help hoist up a sail,” Bennie Hall said. “We coasted out there with just a quiet engine. It was wonderful. That’s what sailing is all about.”

The opportunity was certainly unique, and local passenger, John Nielsen, noted that it was well executed and clearly thought through.

“It wasn’t my first time on a tall ship, so it wasn’t too astounding, but I’m sure it would have been for someone who was experiencing this for the first time,” Nielsen said.

Nielsen noted that the captain was very knowledgeable about the ship and said that while he avoided broadcasting information to avoid ruining the ambiance, Sears allowed passengers to gather around the stern of the ship while he told stories and spread his knowledge of the vessel’s history.

The America’s history is, after all, a long and varied one.  In addition to its prestige as a racing schooner, the boat served as a blockade runner for the Confederates during the Civil War only to be captured and used by the Union side before being recommissioned for racing.

The excursions were about more than the history however, and passengers were able to experience what Nielsen dubbed “a genuine tall ship experience” aboard the 1995 replica of the 135 foot schooner.

The spirit of the ship’s stay was marked by this spirit of team work that is often required in sailing. The Wrightsville Beach community came together uniting Carolina Yacht Club, Blockade Runner Beach Resort, and Wrightsville Beach Museum of History as they organized the event.

“The preparation of the event was marked by friendly collaboration,” said museum director, Madeline Flagler. “We tried to do things together.”

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