The International One-Design Sailors at Skylands!
As you can imagine, sailing is a serious pastime in the in the vast waters near Skylands, my home in Maine. The Northeast Harbor Fleet, formed in August of 1923, is a seasonal organization that promotes boating and sailboat racing in the area. For the second time in a decade, the Northeast Harbor Fleet hosted the International One-Design (IOD) World Championship regatta this summer. IOD is a class of sailboat developed specifically for yacht racing. This classic boat is a 33-foot open cockpit day sailer and they are so beautiful to watch. The event was held from July 25th-30th and involved a series of eight races.
David Rockefeller Jr., my friend and neighbor in Seal Harbor, asked me if I’d be willing to host one of the evening gatherings. The sailors are from all over and they are entertained in the “hosting” harbor. One night they took over the Islesford Dock Restaurant on Little Cranberry Island and on another, they participated a lively square dance. I opened my home to a group of about 150 and we all had a great time feasting on a menu created by Chef Pierre Schaedelin.
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- Posing with Pierre and Tom, who helped cook for the weekend.
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- The biscuits I baked for the fisherman’s stew were flavored with dill and rosemary.
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- The 11-bean salad being prepared – All the dried beans came from Caesare, the chef/owner of Salumeria Rosi. http://www.salumeriarosi.com/
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- The almost completed bean salad
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- A closeup view – you can clearly see the great variety of beans.
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- The bean salad embellished
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- Ripe red tomatoes and chopped Italian parsley added color.
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- Flavorful grilled sausages were served at this table with mustards, grilled bread, and the bean salad.
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- The sausages from Schaller & Weber http://www.schallerweber.com/ were a big hit.
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- And so were the frittatas made from my eggs!
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- No one could believe the size, beauty, and flavor of this paella – so very, very good!
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- This cooker is the greatest for steaming lobsters, clams, mussels and for cooking paella.
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- It’s so easy to steam, cook, and grill vast amounts of food on this cooker.
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- Pierre serving the fisherman’s stew
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- We went to the beach to collect fresh seaweed for the garnish of the fisherman’s stew.
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- Grilling the bread
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- Here I am with David Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, Susan.
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- The presentation of gifts
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- I told my sailing stories – the Marblehead-Halifax race on ‘Cascade’ and other sailing disasters – I did not fit in with this crowd!
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- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology crowd and me – they teach sailing at MIT.
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- Horseshoes were set up, although I did not see anyone toss.
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- This was the last day of racing in the Northeast Harbor IOD World Championship regatta.
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- It was the second time in a decade that the Northeast Harbor Fleet hosted this event.
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- According to the class history, legendary American yachtsman, Cornelius Shields, originally conceived the idea for the International One-Design sloop in 1935.
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- Cornelius Shields commissioned designer-builder Bjarne Aas of Fredrikstad of Norway, to draw the plans for a 33-foot one-design racing sloop.
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- His design was made out of wood and included a hollow wooden mast that was 45 feet tall and carried 426 square feet of sail!
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- I have always admired the skills and experience needed to adjust for the sea conditions and varying wind speeds.
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- Interestingly, in 1938, the cost of the yacht was about $2,670 – $40,700 in current dollars!
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- Of course, IODs made today are constructed of fiberglass.
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- It was a perfect day for sailing!
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- The food on its way to the stable for the IOD reception – that’s Tom, from the TV kitchen staff.
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- In preparation for the party, the outdoor steamer across from stable, was fired up. Its fuel is birch logs and natural charcoal.
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- After the feast, guests were invited onto the terrace to enjoy the view of Seal Harbor and to sip chilled wine.
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- The amazing bean salad and bratwurst on crusty grilled bread
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