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Yesterday was my first full day aboard since the end of May when the ship was in Boston. I joined the ship in Bay City, Michigan, yesterday evening. After a quick and businesslike exchange of command with Captain Parrott, Pride II moved out of the harbor yesterday toward the start of the fourth and last race of the 2001 Great Lakes Tall Ships Challenge©. While the ship made her way the 40 nautical miles to the race start position, I got a briefing by the ship's officers on the status of things. They were ready to go sailing again. Bay City had provided wonderful hospitality - maybe the best so far from the official list of cities participating in these Tall Ships Festivals. But with five cities visited in as many weekends, all offering enthusiastic hospitality and interested throngs of viewing public, being underway was seen as a respite from the hustle and jostle of the port visits.

The race was set to be 121 nautical miles along the northeast shore of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It began in Saginaw Bay and ended just east of Mackinac Island near the Straits. The race got off to a quiet start in a light but building breeze from the south backing to southeast. Pride II was nearly last to cross the start line due to my caution for getting too close to the start line before the official time. But we finally got across with two minutes to spare in the 20 minute start window while the last sail was being set, the top-gallant. With the breeze finally filled in at 10 knots or so, Pride II passed all the vessels ahead of her over the next 8 miles.

With two of the fleet nipping at her lead, Pride II lead the rest of the way to the finish crossing today at just a minute or so before 3 pm. About ten minutes later, Pride II's ol' racing friend, Highlander Sea, crossed followed by Grand Nellie about 10 minutes later. After the handicap is applied, I believe Grand Nellie will be awarded first place with Pride II second and Highlander third. But this guess could be wrong, as I don't at this time know where the rest of the fleet is or how large their handicap is. But I am pretty sure no vessel passed the ‘three amigos' as I came to refer to us during the night's racing in semi-fog. The wind pattern allowed all three of us to sail together, never more than 2 miles apart, along the rhomb line of the race rather than wander away off to one side looking for wind.

Now that the race is over, we will continue to work our way toward Chicago, either under sail or power. We have 300 miles to go and an obligation to be there by noon on Friday. So we have radioed our time of finish into the race committee and are now taking the last of a dying breeze before pushing on.

Cheers,

Captain Miles