Alex Agnew, Founder of Tall Ships Maine, Announces Winners Today.

Lion’s Whelp, the  Alden Designed Yacht of Phineas Sprague, Jr., is in the Water for the First Time in Years, at Portland Shipyard, 100 West Commercial Street.

Wendameen, a Portland Schooner Co. boat, won first place this afternoon in the third annual Tall Ships Maine race in Casco Bay. That win broke the two year winning streak of Alert, for whom the cup is named.  Alert came in second with another Portland Schooner Co. boat, Bagheera, taking third place.

Mary E. came in fourth place.  She has an interesting history having been built in Bath in 1906, on the property now occupied by BIW.  She spent a lot of her years on Block Island.  At one point she sank in Massachusetts.  Eventually, Mary E. was brought to the Maine Maritium Museum in Bath.

Adventure of Massachusetts did not make it to the Tall Ships race as had been expected.  Neither did Timberwind which remains on shore at the Portland Shipyard, West Commercial Street.  The Harvey Gamage which did not race in the event received an Honorable Mention for its participation in the weekend event.  The Harvey Gamage is 131 ft. long, about 60 ft. longer than the other schooners in the race.

Doug Coyle, a member of the Race Committee, said that Portland Harbor was less choppy and less windy today that it was yesterday.  The weather has varied throughout the weekend – with squalls predicted along the Portland coast, but  not materializing.

Lion’s Whelp, is being outfitted and prepared for a journey to Cartwright, Labrador by its owner Phineas Sprague, Jr.  It has been years since this “built to order” yacht has been in the water.  As Sprague once said:  “It was a victim of the economy.”  The Big Recession of a few years ago. It as built to be a replica of the boat in which the Sprague family crossed the ocean to America from England.

Please see previous post for more background on the 3rd Annual Tall Ships Race, Portland and more information on Lion’s Whelp.