Lessons from Maine
And about that trip to Maine.
If you follow my personal accounts on social media, you will know that I referred to all the wooden boat "eye candy" as a "drool fest." I felt incredibly grateful and privileged to be a part of this amazing event, with wooden boats dotting the horizon alll around us.
It reminded me of a trip to Brest, France, in 1998, when I worked in development for the Pride of Baltimore II, She had been not just invited, but paid, to come to a wooden boat festival in Normandy, where our captain was interviewed on a French national prime time television show, and she was literally the "belle of the ball." After the public event in Brest, there was a race from Brest, around Pointe de Penhir and Cap de la Chevre, to Douarnanez, on the southeast part of the Baie de Douarnanez in the Celtic Sea.
Despite my status as on office member, the captain of the Pride knew I could sail, and so I got to take the wheel while the crew was busy flying all of the sails. Our honorary guest for the day, the mayor of Brest, was also my charge as I spoke enough French to chat with him. While I made sure to head in the proper direction, keep the sails filled, and avoid the boats around us, he shared gossip with me on various boats, their history, and the personalities involved. I was enthralled, looking at wooden boats of all shapes and sizes, all making their way around the point to the "seafarar's fest" that would take place in the smaller village in Dournanez. There were boats everywhere, near and far, and it was a sight I have never forgotten.
The Eggemoggin Reach Regatta in Maine, and the feeder races leading up to it, were just as spectacular. Classic wooden boats, designed and buily by legends, representing tradition, a shift from utility to beauty, a legacy of self-sufficiency, the skills of boatbuilding, sailmaking, and navigating all without electricity and electronics, seamanship, and a respect for craftsmanship that keeps 100-year-old boats not just intact but saliing and racing.
There were lots of things I learned during that trip, and only one that I have written about (so far). The culture of this races was very different from what I normally experience on the racing circuit. What drives culture, and how can you impact it? Read more.
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