Tall Ships bring 250,000 to Newport

CHARLIE RAFERTY  plays the bagpipe aboard the 65-foot Continental Sloop Providence, a replica of the first vessel commanded by John Paul Jones during the Revolutionary War. /
CHARLIE RAFERTY plays the bagpipe aboard the 65-foot Continental Sloop Providence, a replica of the first vessel commanded by John Paul Jones during the Revolutionary War. /

Rhode Island’s maritime heritage was on display during the recently concluded Amica Insurance Tall Ships Rhode Island 2007 celebration, as 19 square riggers, barques, schooners and the like from 11 nations sailed into Newport’s harbor, anchoring a festival of sailing and culture from June 27 to July 1.

The quarter of a million spectators who attended the festival, the sixth Tall Ships event since 1976 to be held in Newport, were treated to a series of activities and events both on land and aboard the ships.

For three of the five days, spectators could board and visit the ships, which ranged from the Gorch Fock II, a 293-foot barque from Germany, to a group of U.S. Naval and Coast Guard academies’ 44-foot sloops. Other activities included an international village, with food and crafts from around the world, as well as theatrical performances and fireworks.

In addition to tending to their ships, the crews engaged in seamanship competitions, such as tug of war and heavy line tossing, and even participated in a softball game at Cardine’s Field.

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The festival also coincided with the 50th anniversary reunion of the U.S. Navy’s International Naval Command College, which yearly attracts senior-level government and naval officers from around the world.

The conclusion of the festival was the “Parade of Sail,” during which each ship did a tour into Narragansett Bay and then headed back out to sea to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the next stop in the 2007 Tall Ships circuit.

Festival sponsor Amica Mutual Insurance Co., founded in 1907, is the nation’s oldest mutual insurer of automobiles. The company offers automobile, homeowners, marine, and personal umbrella liability insurance plus life coverage through Amica Life Insurance Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary. Amica employs more than 3,000 people at its Lincoln headquarters and offices nationwide. Additional information is available at www.amica.com.

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