Pride of Baltimore Shows Her Speed in Europe

The Pride of Baltimore, the replica an 1812 Baltimore clipper (a topsail schooner), which visited Newport Harbor two years ago, has been showing her heels to other vessels while on her 18-month goodwill tour of European waters.

Pride has demonstrated her speed and sailing ability in a match race with the British training ship, Sir Winston Churchill, a three-masted topsail schooner of 300 tons displacement. Pride has two masts and weighs in at 121 tons. Sir Winston is of a modern design built in 1955.

On the 58-mile course between Weymouth Bay and the Isle of Wight, the Pride, the old War of 1812 privateer, was the winner by 24 minutes on corrected time, proving that her extreme rake of masts, low freeboard, shallow draft and light displacement put her way ahead of her time in design.

The Pride received the Weymouth Cup, a perpetual trophy from the City of Weymouth. This cup will become a trophy for international competition of similar vessels of various nations.

The Pride was built in Baltimore under the supervision of Melbourne Smith, who also supervised the construction of the Californian, a replica of a California Gold Rush period revenue cutter, in San Diego, for the Nautical Heritage Society of Dana Point. The Pride is scheduled to return to Baltimore in November.

Now designated as the official state tallship and cadet training vessel, the Californian will sail from Dana Point Harbor on Jan. 25 and 26 on whale watching cruises of about 3 1/2 hours duration beginning at noon. The cruises are open to the public. Reservations must be made by calling 661-1001. Proceeds from the $35 fee per person will support the Sea Explorer Program of Dana Point.

Luxury yachts will be featured along with family weekend cruisers, sportfishing boats, inflatables and a wide variety of marine hardware and electronics during the 30th annual Southern California Boat Show from Jan. 31 through Feb. 9 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Hours are from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

Karen Faber has been elected president of the Orange County Women’s Ocean Racing Assn. This organization plans a slate of six all-women ocean races, each sponsored by different yacht clubs in Dana Point and Newport Beach. Sailors interested in joining may call 631-3196.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Tustin Flotilla Number 15-4 will be conducting its fall Boating and Seamanship classes beginning Feb. 4 at Tustin High School from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, contact Calvin Rohrs at 544-8980.

Orange County author Herb Payson, who spent six years cruising the South Pacific in his 36-foot Angleman ketch Sea Foam, will kick off the Friday night sailing lecture series on Jan. 31 at Orange Coast College. On Feb. 7, Ralph Naranjo will speak on Across Three Oceans--A Family Crusing Adventure.