One teaches the history of classic boats and the art of restoring, maintaining and building them. The other aims to preserve the culture of yachting by teaching the public about its history through vessel displays, artifacts, literature, events and regattas.
Now, after more than a year of discussions, the International Yacht Restoration School and The Museum of Yachting are partnering up to improve both their operations.
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In what the two Newport nonprofits called “a first step toward a convergence,” their boards have signed a memorandum of understanding setting up a structure to bring them together. The specifics are still being fine-tuned, they said, and the goal is to have a final agreement in place later this summer.
“Many great schools are connected to a museum or cultural center. While a school may be focused on educating students and advancing research, a museum can take that knowledge to a wider public,” said John Mecray, marine artist and co-founding trustee of both IYRS and The Museum of Yachting, in a news release.
“I see IYRS and the museum working together in a number of ways,” he added. “We can coordinate restorations and exhibitions, or target projects and displays. With the right planning and creativity, we can make yachting’s colorful history come alive – both for those who live here, and for the many people who visit Newport.”
Terry Nathan, president of IYRS, said he sees it as a great move for the school, which teaches “traditional boatbuilding, restoration and marine systems.”
“We view this as an opportunity to not only reach a broader audience for the school, but to also enrich the experience for our students,” he said. Currently IYRS has more than 100 students, with 30 of them attending on a full-time basis.
Bill Doyle, chairman of the museum, which logs 8,000 visitors per year, said the partnership would create “wonderful opportunities” to preserve and present the museum’s collections “while incorporating yachting’s rich cultural heritage into the career programs at IYRS.”
The partnership is also expected to help secure the museum’s future and long-term financial stability, Doyle said. James Russell, vice president of development at IYRS, added that it will also make it easier for both institutions to raise money, noting that in the last decade, there has been a 51-percent increase in the number of nonprofits.
“Donors are increasingly stretched,” he said, “and they are asking for consolidation where missions overlap and economies of scale can ensure a good use of donations.”
Both organizations plan to stay in separate locations – IYRS on its 2.5-acre waterfront campus on Thames Street and The Museum of Yachting in Fort Adams State Park – but they plan to collaborate on programs, exhibitions, attractions and events.
