The Classic Yacht Race, which benefits the Cheaspeake Bay Maritime Museum, is organized by the Classic Yacht Restoration Guild (CYRG). The race’s flagship is the CYRG’s restored 1888 racing yacht Elf, a 125-year-old Lawley-built '30-footer' class cutter, and the oldest active racing yacht in America.
For the Elf Classic, a fleet of classic yachts joined Elf for a 1880s-style race from Annapolis to St. Michaels. Featuring the nautical version of a “Le Mans start,” yacht captains rowed to their vessels in the Annapolis harbor to raise their anchors and sails, before getting underway. Spectators were invited to watch the 9 a.m. start from the Eastport Yacht Club and then spend the day along the Miles River and St. Michaels harbor as participants crossed the finishline at CBMM. Captains finished the race by anchoring off, rowing to shore, and signing the race log at the historic Tolchester Beach Bandstand on the museum's grounds.
Photos by Rebekah Elliot
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