Public cruises and dockside tours aboard the 139-foot yacht America have recently been announced for select dates this September while the schooner is at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. America is a replica of the schooner that launched the America’s Cup tradition in 1851 by defeating the best the British could offer to win the Royal Yacht Squadron’s “Auld Mug.”
The sailing yacht will be at CBMM in St. Michaels, Md. on Labor Day, September 5 through Tuesday, September 6, and again on Saturday, September 10 through Sunday, September 11.
Public cruises are scheduled to depart from CBMM at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 5; 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6; and at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 10. Limited, advanced boarding tickets are required, with tickets and more information at bit.ly/SailAmerica. Boarding begins 30 minutes prior to scheduled departure times.
The sailing ship’s visit in St. Michaels includes a half-hour multimedia program covering the past, present, and future of the America’s Cup, held at CBMM on Monday, September 5 at 10:00 a.m. The presentation is free for CBMM members or with admission. Limited seating is available in CBMM’s Van Lennep Auditorium, with advanced online ticketing at bit.ly/AmericaPresentation.
As the official ambassador of the America’s Cup, the replica schooner began its North American tour in San Diego in 2015, with its East Coast leg navigated in 2016 from the Gulf of Mexico up the Eastern Seaboard into Maine, before tracking south through the Caribbean and on to Bermuda in 2017 for the America’s Cup.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and America’s visit touches deeply our mission of preserving and exploring maritime heritage,” said CBMM President Kristen Greenaway. “We’re very keen to give our guests the opportunity to climb and sail aboard her, and especially our youth the opportunity to explore the science and technology that are behind America’s Cup racing.”
Established in 1965, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a world-class maritime museum dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and people of the entire Chesapeake Bay, with the values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship guiding its mission. Serving nearly 70,000 guests each year, the museum’s campus includes a floating fleet of historic boats and 12 exhibition buildings, situated in a park-like, waterfront setting along the Miles River and St. Michaels’ harbour.
For more information, visit www.cbmm.org
More information about the schooner America at bit.ly/SchoonerAmerica.