Organizers of New London’s maritime festival thinking big
City considers participating in tall ships procession in 2020
New London — Even as they prepare for this year’s event, Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival officials are eyeing the city’s potential participation in a 2020 tall ships procession commemorating the Pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth Rock.
New London figures to be among more than a half-dozen East Coast ports that will be chosen to host the 2020 Tall Ships Chal- lenge, John Johnson, chairman of the Connecticut maritime festival, revealed Monday during a press conference held to publicize this year’s five-day festival, set for Sept. 5-9.
Four to six tall ships could stop in New London during the 2020 event, which would double as that year’s maritime festival, Johnson said.
“We hope to join with Sailfest in 2020, too,” he said, referring to another New London event held every year.
Mayor Michael Passero, maritime festival board members and other elected officials
gathered Monday on board the Mystic Whaler, New London’s tall ship, docked at City Pier. Passero said the festival was playing “a big part” in “taking the city from where it is to where it’s going to be.”
Marcus Fisk, the retired Navy captain named the festival’s chief operating officer earlier this year, said festival organizers have big plans.
“We’re being aggressive,” he said. “We don’t want to be just a local event. The intent is to grow the festival into a national event.”
Blue Angels a possibility
In connection with the 2020 Tall Ships Challenge, he said maritime festival organizers are investigating the possibility of a New London appearance by the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration squadron.
This year’s maritime festival will include an official welcoming ceremony Thursday, Sept. 6, followed that evening by “Swingin’ on the Pier,” featuring a performance by The Cartells. A dance instructor will provide an hour’s worth of instruction for those “who haven’t got a clue” about swing dancing, Johnson said.
Saturday’s schedule includes “Music at the Fort,” featuring musical performances at Fort Trumbull State Park.
As for ships, Johnson said the festival expects to welcome a Navy vessel comparable to the USS Cole, the guided- missile destroyer that took part in last year’s festival, and has commitments from “four or five” schooners with hopes of landing more. A Coast Guard vessel and the Kings Pointer, the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy’s training vessel, also are expected to visit, he said.
As in past years, the festival also will include maritime education programs, the New London Chowder Challenge and the Morgan Cup Challenge, a schooner race. Nearly all of the events, including ship-viewings, are free of charge.
Johnson said Bert Rogers, executive director of Tall Ships America, the Newport, R.I.-based nonprofit organizing the 2020 Tall Ships Challenge, toured New London months ago.
“He had never been here before,” Johnson said. “He took a two-hour tour of City Pier, State Pier and Fort Trumbull and was effusive about how ideal New London would be (as a Tall Ships Challenge site).”
Decision later this summer
Reached at Tall Ships America offices in Newport, Rogers confirmed that New London is under consideration for the 2020 event. He said no decisions have been made but that his organization hopes to announce by the end of the summer which ports have been selected.
“The intent is to have the event in Plymouth ( Mass.) over the Fourth of July weekend,” he said. “Ships would make stops in other cities along the Atlantic Coast both before and after that.”
Ships will sail from Europe to take part in the event marking the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower.
Rogers noted that Mystic Seaport Museum is involved in the preparations through its ongoing restoration of Mayflower II, a 60-year-old replica of the original.
Tall Ships America , charged with the preservation of the maritime heritage of North America, organizes the Tall Ships Challenge series in different locales every year. It helped commemorate New Orleans’ 300th anniversary this spring and will organize an event in Great Lakes ports in 2019.