Sailed out of Cleveland Harbor around 11:00 am on Monday. The first sail race of the tour started at 12 noon. We maneuvered several times to arive at the starting line a few seconds after 12 noon. By the time the race started all of us “trainees” were sweating… There are 6 to 10 lines per sail (and 27 sails). They all have to be let out, tightened up, and then straightened out for each maneuver. The course covered 31 miles, but after 10 miles, the wind dropped to a whisper. We won the race by default, as we made 26 miles by midnight. The other ships had dropped out of the race!!!! We sailed until 4am, and just as my watch started, Captain Rob order us to strike the sales. Nothing like a frantic 45 minutes at 4 in the morning to get the blood stiring. We have been motoring all morning, and are now approaching the Detriot river.
Here is a nice picture of the Europa at dock in Cleveland.
The Europa at dock during the tall ship festival.