This weekend, the 31st Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival was held, culminating in the Mayor’s Cup Schooner Race. The Esperanto Cup, representing the large schooners, was won by the schooner Columbia, built in 2014, a steel replica of the W. Starling Burgess designed schooner of the same name of 1923. Columbia broke the winning streak of American Eagle, which came in second in the race. American Eagle, built in 1930 and owned and sailed by Captain John Foss, has won the cup eight times since 2001, including placing first for each of the last three years. The South Street Seaport’s 1893 built Lettie G. Howard came in third. This is her first competition in the race since 2008.
The three schooners share a remarkably similar heritage. The oldest, Lettie G. Howard, is a Fredonia design schooner built in the Story shipyard in Essex, MA. The schooner Fredonia of 1889 was designed by the well-known yacht designer Edward Burgess of Boston and would influence schooner design for the next several decades.
The original Columbia of 1923, also built in the Story yard, was designed by Edward Burgess’ son, W. Starling Burgess. She was a fishing schooner laid down with an eye for racing. The Columbia of 2014 was built at Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, FL on the original Burgess design, but of steel rather than wood.
American Eagle is the newest of the three designs. Built in 1930 at United Sail Loft Co. of Gloucester, MA, as the Andrew and Rosalie, she was the last auxiliary schooner to be built in Gloucester, and one of the port’s last sail-powered fishing vessels. She fished under sail until 1941. Captain John Foss was purchased in schooner 1984 rebuilt her for the “windjammer” adventure vacation trade. She now spends summers primarily cruising Penobscot Bay in Maine on 3-7 day cruises.
Complete Race results for the 2015 Mayor’s Cup:
Large Schooners / Esperanto Cup
- Columbia, Captain Karl Joyner
- American Eagle, Captain John Foss
- Lettie Howard Captain Christopher Flansburg
Medium Schooners / Ned Cameron Cup – Gaff Rig
- Adventurer, Captain Mark Faulstick
- Hindu, Captain Josh Rowan
- Thomas E. Lannon, Captain Heath Ellis
Medium Schooners / Ned Cameron Cup – Marconi Rig
- Narwhal, Captain Bob Bernert
Small Schooners / Betty Ramsey Plate – Marconi Rig
- Apella, Captain Dan Hall
Small Schooners / Betty Ramsey Plate – Gaff Rig
- Heart’s Desire, Captain Matt Hobart
- Green Dragon, Captain Al Bezanson
- Renegade, Captain David Coller