Atlantic Challenge USA Contest Training Expedition in Penobscot Bay, Maine.
Monday July 24 - Sunday July 30, 2023
The next Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship will be held in Belfast, Maine, USA in July 2024, bringing together crews from Great Britain, Denmark, Belgium, the Basque Country, France, Ireland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Canada (Quebec and Ontario), and the USA. Atlantic Challenge USA will gather up to 20 young people to compete in this friendly Contest to represent the USA. The Contest events will include rowing and sailing races, knots, and navigation competitions. Crews will have opportunities to mix together and make new friends.
In preparation for the 2024 Contest, we are offering a training this summer July 24-30 on Greens Island, next to Vinalhaven Island, 13 miles east of Rockland, Maine. You will learn to row and sail the elegant, and exhilarating 38 ft long Bantry Bay gigs with skill and style, practice knots and splicing, anchoring and navigation. This expedition is designed for young adults 14 and over with a spirit of adventure, who wish to form a tight-knit team in learning, and honing rowing, sailing, and traditional seamanship skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere!
The boats require careful orchestration, communication, leadership, and teamwork to maneuver well. Every crew member will have many opportunities to lead throughout the program. With guidance from AC USA instructors and our cook, participants will rotate through a range roles each day on and off the water to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, create the day's passage plan to our next anchorage, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, actively follow the stroke oar, or perhaps be inspired to lead a call-and-response song to help keep the rowers in sync.
We will teach skills relevant to the weather and passages presented each day. Many of the skills likely to be covered, include:
Points of Sail
Sail Theory
Sail Trim
Tides
Navigation
Reefing
Docking
Knots
Anchoring
Anchorage Assessment
Handling a dipping lug sail within a team
Steering Forces
Weather
Typical Daily Schedule:
6:30am Gather to stretch
7-7:30am Light Morning Row
7:45-8am Morning Dip
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea
9:30am Clean up, group chores (usually take no more than 15-20 minutes and include either group dish washing, refilling water jugs, getting the weather report, preparing food for lunch, etc), and personal time.
10:30am Gather to row/sail
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row/sail
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, put sails away).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, campfire, songs/tunes, etc
9-10pm Folks typically head to bed (to sleep in tents).
We'll start in Rockland, transport ourselves via ferry/powerboat to Greens Island and camp in tents, live without electricity for the week, and become a cohesive team on and off the water.
Maximum group size: 24 people total including instructors and cook. Though not required to be part of the team in 2024, those who are interested in being part of Team USA for the 2024 Contest are especially encouraged to join this summer 2023.
No prior experience necessary. This program starts and ends in Rockland, Maine.
Detailed logistics to follow.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Instructors: Arista Holden, Dylan Ladds, Olivia Keene. Cook: Coral Breuer
Monday July 24 - Sunday July 30, 2023
The next Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship will be held in Belfast, Maine, USA in July 2024, bringing together crews from Great Britain, Denmark, Belgium, the Basque Country, France, Ireland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Canada (Quebec and Ontario), and the USA. Atlantic Challenge USA will gather up to 20 young people to compete in this friendly Contest to represent the USA. The Contest events will include rowing and sailing races, knots, and navigation competitions. Crews will have opportunities to mix together and make new friends.
In preparation for the 2024 Contest, we are offering a training this summer July 24-30 on Greens Island, next to Vinalhaven Island, 13 miles east of Rockland, Maine. You will learn to row and sail the elegant, and exhilarating 38 ft long Bantry Bay gigs with skill and style, practice knots and splicing, anchoring and navigation. This expedition is designed for young adults 14 and over with a spirit of adventure, who wish to form a tight-knit team in learning, and honing rowing, sailing, and traditional seamanship skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere!
The boats require careful orchestration, communication, leadership, and teamwork to maneuver well. Every crew member will have many opportunities to lead throughout the program. With guidance from AC USA instructors and our cook, participants will rotate through a range roles each day on and off the water to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, create the day's passage plan to our next anchorage, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, actively follow the stroke oar, or perhaps be inspired to lead a call-and-response song to help keep the rowers in sync.
We will teach skills relevant to the weather and passages presented each day. Many of the skills likely to be covered, include:
Points of Sail
Sail Theory
Sail Trim
Tides
Navigation
Reefing
Docking
Knots
Anchoring
Anchorage Assessment
Handling a dipping lug sail within a team
Steering Forces
Weather
Typical Daily Schedule:
6:30am Gather to stretch
7-7:30am Light Morning Row
7:45-8am Morning Dip
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea
9:30am Clean up, group chores (usually take no more than 15-20 minutes and include either group dish washing, refilling water jugs, getting the weather report, preparing food for lunch, etc), and personal time.
10:30am Gather to row/sail
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row/sail
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, put sails away).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, campfire, songs/tunes, etc
9-10pm Folks typically head to bed (to sleep in tents).
We'll start in Rockland, transport ourselves via ferry/powerboat to Greens Island and camp in tents, live without electricity for the week, and become a cohesive team on and off the water.
Maximum group size: 24 people total including instructors and cook. Though not required to be part of the team in 2024, those who are interested in being part of Team USA for the 2024 Contest are especially encouraged to join this summer 2023.
No prior experience necessary. This program starts and ends in Rockland, Maine.
Detailed logistics to follow.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Instructors: Arista Holden, Dylan Ladds, Olivia Keene. Cook: Coral Breuer