The victorious crew of The Spirit of BermudaEven Hurricane Hanna couldn't keep the Spirit of Bermuda from crossing the finish line first in a race around Prince Edward Island – and walking away with the $40,000 prize money.
The determined crew didn't let a hurricane, fish pots, course changes or sleep deprivation keep them from proudly grabbing the Race Around the Island trophy on Sunday evening.
Royal Gazette reporter Ruth O'Kelly-Lynch was a member of the winning crew. The 310 nautical mile Race Around the Island was the first in what will now be an annual event.
For the 22 crew members the race really started in Rockport, Maine. Due to heavy winds from Hurricane Hanna the ship was forced to delay its departure.
For a while it was touch and go if the Spirit would even be able to participate in race, but the determined sailors buckled down and ensured she sailed into the Summerside Habour a few hours before the start.
After a quick turnaround the crew headed back to the start line and managed to cross the line two minutes ahead of everyone due to expert helming and teamwork.
With a mix of experienced racers, such as Olympians Alan Burland and Jay Kemp, and students who frequently sail the 112 ft Bermuda Sloop the crew ensured the ship never slipped from its first position.
But Hurricane Hanna wasn't the only hurdle the Spirit had to contend with.
A communication slip up meant that all other vessels were informed of a change to the course except the Spirit, which added some miles and time to the ship's voyage.
After learning of the development and changing course the crew became even more committed to ensuring Spirit crossed the line first.
"It is what she was made for," said Alan Burland, the Chairman of the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, which runs the sail training vessel.
"From the very beginning we said we wanted to build a boat that was fast and fun to sail. Races like this really show what the ship and the crew can do. It helps put Bermuda on the map in the Tall Ship world. The years of planning that went into this ship have come to fruition."
This is the second race Spirit has competed in and the first prize money the ship has won.
"One hundred percent of the $40,000 we won will go to the youth of Bermuda," Mr. Burland said. 'This will help us fund the maintenance of the ship and students who sail with us in the future."
Sixteen-year-old Vershon Simmons has spent the summer sailing on Spirit.
'This is the first race I have been in and it was an amazing experience," he said. "It was really cool to work with all the racers as they taught us a lot, they were always adjusting the sheets and showing us how to make her go faster. Mr. Burland taught me how to helm with the waves, which is really cool.
"The hardest part of the sail were the fish pots, they were everywhere! We had people sitting all the way up on the bow sprit with an infrared night scope warning us about the pots. We were definitely zig-zagging a lot on that course.
"Also the lack of sleep was a pain. We were in racing watches which means you are on deck for four hours and then you sleep for four hours, but we were always being woken up to help tack.
"I will definitely be back on the crew next year to defend our title."
The win was especially thrilling as the Spirit had not been pegged as the ship to beat prior to departure. It was the only vessel with students aboard and the consensus on land was that the well respected and decorated Pride of Baltimore would take the trophy and prize money.
But the Spirit crew were determined to win the inaugural Race Around the Island.
The ship arrived six hours ahead of the other four vessels competing at 7 a.m. on Saturday, to the bewilderment of Prince Edward Islanders who didn't expect anyone to arrive before noon.
But due to the handicap system the Spirit was not officially declared the winner until late Sunday afternoon after adjusted times were worked out, which take into account different boat sizes and rigging among other things. The winning margin was calculated to be one hour and 20 minutes.
The crew was made up of Mike Ashton, Greg Babtoszuk, Robert Blee, Adrian Bremar, Alan Burland, Kent Cassels, Bo Chambers, Tristan DeSilva, Geoffrey Frith, Marcus Fox, Kevin Horsfield, Jay Kempe, Malcolm Kirkland, Joshua LeMay, Ruth O'Kelly-Lynch, Tom Miller, Larry Rosenfield, Michael Scott, Vershon Simmons, Peter Simons, Tom Wadson, Wojtck Wacowski.
'I was impressed with every single member of the crew," Mr. Burland said. "Everyone was focused and the young people on board brought the energy and enthusiasm that was needed. And I think it has really excited a lot of them about next year's Tall Ship's race."
Bermuda will be one of the ports during the 2009 Tall Ship Festival which will see ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean twice.
The race begins in early April and finishes in late July. Anyone interested in sailing with the Spirit of Bermuda for a leg of the race should contact the Bermuda Sloop Foundation as interest is mounting and space is limited.
The ship departed Prince Edward Island yesterday and is sailing to Halifax before returning to Bermuda on September 22. It will resume its middle school programme in early October.