By virtue of being a Marbleheader, every child in town is part of a long and storied nautical tradition.
MILITARY HISTORY: Marblehead has long been engaged in a good-natured feud with Beverly about which town is the official birthplace of the American Navy (spoiler alert: it’s Marblehead). Marblehead is also the origin of Marine Corps aviation and three US Navy ships have been named USS Marblehead. On the evening of December 25, 1776, Marblehead's Glover’s Regiment rowed General George Washington across the icy Delaware River to fight the Battle of Trenton.
A FISHING TOWN: Marblehead was once the fishing capital of Massachusetts. In 1837 our powerful fishing fleet consisted of 98 vessels, but on Sept. 19, 1846, a storm known as "The Great Gale" caught the Marbleheaders by surprise at sea and at least 11 vessels and 65 of the town's men and boys were lost, marking the beginning of the decline of Marblehead's fishing industry.
YACHTING: Marblehead also boasts 150 years of yachting history. The 94-foot sloop Puritan, out of the Eastern Yacht Club, successfully defended the America’s Cup in 1885 against challenger Genesta of the British Royal Yacht Squadron... followed in two successive years by Mayflower's win in 1886 and Volunteer's in 1887. Famed shipbuilders hailing from Marblehead include giants such as Starling and Edward Burgess, Nathanael and L. Francis Herreshoff, Ray Hunt (designer of the Boston Whaler and Concordia yawl, and whose son James “Sham” Hunt is an Olympic gold medalist sailor) and Ted Hood. Hood, a yacht designer and sail maker, was also the winning skipper of the 1974 America's Cup aboard the 12 Meter Courageous, and was elected to the America's Cup Hall of Fame in 1993.
FAMOUS MARBLEHEAD SAILORS: In recent years, Marblehead has boasted many winning sailors. Dave Curtis lives here and is a 7-time Etchells Worlds champion. Jud Smith, another 'Header, is a two-time winner of the Rolex Yachtsmen of the year and a 10-time World Champion in multiple classes. Dru Slattery is internationally ranked in women's sailing, and Rich Wilson (aboard Great American II and III) has set several extraordinary records in ocean racing.
SAILING EVENTS: Each summer Marblehead hosts regattas large and small, from the weekly racing circuits and Marblehead Town Class fleet to major ocean races (like the Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race) and nostalgic events such as the Corinthian Classic Yachts Regatta.
“There might be nothing in the world that packs as many life lessons as the activity of sailing. It teaches teamwork, engineering, history, patience, oceanography, ecology…all in one fell swoop.”
We love this piece from the American Sailing Association, outlining 5 reasons why all kids should learn to sail. Sailing offers adventure, builds community, allows kids to unplug from technology and engage with the natural world. There are STEM lessons to be learned and sensory growth to be had on the water, as well as myriad socioemotional benefits for children. And hey, it’s fun.
“There is simply nothing like being able to pilot your own craft at the age of 9 years old. Riding a bike is one thing. Skillfully steering and docking a sailboat is quite another. All of my athletic endeavors helped to shape my sense of self as a kid, but sailing was without a doubt the most instrumental.”
This blog post from Scuttlebutt highlights even more of the growth opportunities that sailing offers to kids: amongst them, the opportunity to develop spatial awareness, sense of direction, weather knowledge and “shipshape habits” (responsible and respectful care of property).
“There’s very little that can beat the sensation of being out on the water, wind filling the sails, harnessing the power of nature and relying on your skills and expertise.”
In this post, dive into some great reasons to sail, including finding peace and quiet, teaching technical skills, building a sense of freedom, connecting to nature and rewarding focus, effort and competition.