The Great Lakes Tall Ship Challenge
Now that summer is well under way, you've probably heard mention of the Great Lakes Tall Ship Challenge. In case you were wondering what all this Tall Ship talk is about, here’s the scoop!
The Tall Ships Challenge is an annual months-long series of races and maritime festivals organized by the American Sail Training Association. This summer, the Challenge commemorates the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and will host a race on each of the five Great Lakes. The challenge is held on the Great Lakes every third year and also alternates between the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts of North America. Since it began in 2001, the Tall Ships Challenge series has visited 32 North American cities, racing over sixty tall ships and bringing millions of spectators to the water to experience the tall ships as they race from port to port.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? 2013 minus 1812 equals 201, right? Well, the executive director of the Tall Ships Challenge has this to say, though it's "a commemoration of the War of 1812, this occurred all over the Great Lakes theater, and most of it happened in 1813. “So we’re commemorating the conflict but celebrating the peace.”
Whenever the Challenge is on the Great Lakes, Bay City play host to the Tall Ship Celebration, which is coming up on July 12-14, 2013. According to the website, “ the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Great Lakes 2013 series will be an event of numbers - two countries, five Great Lakes, over 25 participating tall ships, 22 port appearances, five races, and millions of visitors.” The party has officially started, so check out the list of ports below and check out this spectacular sight in person!
2013 Official Host Ports:
July 4-7
Port of
Cleveland 2013 Tall Ships Festival
July 12-14
Tall Ship® Celebration: Bay City
July 26-28
Tall Ships®
Duluth 2013
August
7-11
Tall Ships®
Chicago
August
16—18
Baylake Bank Tall
Ship® Festival (Green Bay, WI)
September
2
Battle
of Lake Erie Bicentennial (Put-in-Bay, OH)
September
6-8
Tall Ships® Erie 2013