1450 - 47.30.0'N x 88.48.5'W; By Matthew Maples
Colin Nelson looked disappointed when we shattered his preconceived notions of what a tall ship race was like.

His imagination had conjured up images of ships racing neck-and-neck after a gunshot, chasing one another to the horizon with their canvas stretching for a finish line - that's what a race is supposed to be like.right? We informed him that tall ship races are different because all the ships racing are different. Ships of many sizes and rigs take part; square-rigged barques and brigs compete among schooners and sloops in a hodge-podge competition. Some ships and designs are naturally faster, so a handicap system from the American Sail Training Association is used against every ship, taking into account its rig and size. So while we are racing against one another, we are also racing against ourselves to beat our handicap. Without a system like this, a Lamborghini of a ship like the Pride of Baltimore would triumph over our cruising, Cadillac-like barque Europa on a regular (and thereby banal) basis.

It probably was not the answer he wanted to hear, but regardless, I'd be surprised to hear from him that he is still disappointed about tall ship racing. In our latest Tall Ships Challenge race, from Duluth, Minnesota to Whitefish Point, Michigan, we are sailing downwind, with the wind at our back with nearly all sail set and augmented by a full suit of studding sails on our foremast. With them, we have found a real-time opponent in Milwaukee's schooner, the Denis Sullivan. Though we are in different handicap classes (we are A, they are B) we are still racing one another vigorously. Though they took an early lead on us in the race, we have been slowly gaining, thanks to our studding sails and a manoeuvring gamble by Captain Robert Vos, altogether making about 5 knots.

The Keweenaw Peninsula bisects about half of Lake Superior, and it lies just ahead of us. Our captain has opted to go downwind, and to cruise past the very outskirts of the Peninsula to cut-off the Denis Sullivan, or at least, to snatch some miles on them when they have to alter their course from the east to the south-east. We, on the other hand can continue in an easterly direction, provided our helmsmen keep just to the north of the peninsula (the steering is difficult downwind, the ship wants to yaw more).

His plan is working. At 1200 the Sullivan was 5.5 nm away.by 1435 she was 2.4 nm. Robert predicts that she will cross our bow in the afternoon, a mere 1.5 miles away! Our long-time opponent, the German Roald Amundsen is about 17 miles in our wake.but the nimble Brig Niagara is 17 miles ahead of us. In the middle lie us and the Sullivan, duelling for position. We have already sailed about 140 miles from Duluth, and Whitefish Point, the finish, lies 163 miles away, as the crow flies. Our success now relies on our helmsmen - if we can steer well we may not need to adjust our sails, which is essential; Robert says we would lose 5-6 miles to the Sullivan as we adjust and trim our 28+ sails. We shall see what happens.

Our voyage from Duluth has been pleasant -sunny weather, calm waters and studding sails are the order of the day, with ample company and large watches on our ship with barely a bunk to spare. We also have taken on some unplanned passengers; a small bird who feasts on oversized bits of toasted bread from our hands, as well as a bat who has found a comfy roost among our coiled mizzen mast lines.

This race, and our voyage is still is in its infancy - hopefully we will continue to have such good luck as we have had thus far.