Atlantic Challenge Mixed International Team Training and Contest
Training on Greens Island: July 7 - 20, 2024*
*If you can only arrive one week prior to the Contest (July 13 - 20, 2024), that is OK, too.
Participation in International Contest of Seamanship in Belfast, ME: July 21-28, 2024
Program ends morning of July 29th
Costs and program include: instruction, all meals, transportation to and from the nearest airport (Boston, Portland, or Bangor), training program fees including our insurance, and Contest fees.
You will need to purchase: travel medical insurance, your flight. please contact us if you need further financial support.
Gear: We have life jackets, but bring your own if you have one. If you need camping equipment, we likely have extra. Please review the packing list.
The next Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship will be held in Belfast, Maine, USA July 21-28, 2024, bringing together crews from around the world. Atlantic Challenge USA is hosting a training on Greens Island for both Team USA and 1-2 mixed international crews in AC USA's two Bantry Bay gigs, Loyauté and Humanité, and likely a third Bantry Bay gig, based in Tacoma, Washington, Verité. Each crew will have 20 crew members and 2-4 coaches. The Contest events will include rowing and sailing races, knots, and navigation competitions. Crews will have opportunities to mix together and make new friends. Team USA and the International crew will be camping near each other and training both separately and together at different times.
Greens Island is our training base next to Vinalhaven Island,13 miles east of Rockland, Maine. You will learn to row and sail the elegant, and exhilarating 38 ft long Bantry Bay gigs with skill and style, practice knots and splicing, anchoring and navigation. This training program is designed for young adults with a spirit of adventure, who wish to form a tight-knit team in learning, and honing rowing, sailing, and traditional seamanship skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere, and who wish to learn all the events for the Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship hosted in Belfast, Maine in July! At least six crew members in each crew need to be between ages 15 - 22 years old.
The boats require careful orchestration, communication, leadership, and teamwork to maneuver well. Every crew member will have many opportunities to lead throughout the program. With guidance from AC USA instructors and our cook, participants will rotate through a range roles each day on and off the water to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, or actively follow the stroke oar.
We will teach skills relevant to the weather and Atlantic Challenge International Contest Events presented each day. Many of the skills related to the Contest events include:
Points of Sail
Sail Theory
Sail Trim
Tides & Currents
Navigation
Reefing
Docking
Knots
Anchoring
Anchorage Assessment
Handling a dipping lug sail within a team
Steering Forces
Weather & Wind Awareness
Typical Daily Schedule of the Training Program:
6:30am Gather to stretch
7-7:30am Light Morning Row
7:45-8am Morning Dip
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea
9:30am Clean up, group chores (usually take no more than 15-20 minutes and include either group dish washing, refilling water jugs, getting the weather report, preparing food for lunch, etc), and personal time.
10:30am Gather to row/sail
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row/sail
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, put sails away).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, campfire, songs/tunes, etc
9-10pm Folks typically head to bed (to sleep in tents).
We'll start in Rockland, transport ourselves via ferry/powerboat to Greens Island and camp in tents, live without electricity for the one or two weeks of training, and become a cohesive team on and off the water.
Maximum group size: 24 people total including instructors and cook.
No prior experience necessary. This program starts in Rockland, Maine at the Rockland Ferry Terminal, and ends in Belfast, Maine at the Belfast Area High School. We can assist with transportation from the nearest airport (Boston, Portland, or Bangor).
Detailed logistics to follow.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Training on Greens Island: July 7 - 20, 2024*
*If you can only arrive one week prior to the Contest (July 13 - 20, 2024), that is OK, too.
Participation in International Contest of Seamanship in Belfast, ME: July 21-28, 2024
Program ends morning of July 29th
Costs and program include: instruction, all meals, transportation to and from the nearest airport (Boston, Portland, or Bangor), training program fees including our insurance, and Contest fees.
You will need to purchase: travel medical insurance, your flight. please contact us if you need further financial support.
Gear: We have life jackets, but bring your own if you have one. If you need camping equipment, we likely have extra. Please review the packing list.
The next Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship will be held in Belfast, Maine, USA July 21-28, 2024, bringing together crews from around the world. Atlantic Challenge USA is hosting a training on Greens Island for both Team USA and 1-2 mixed international crews in AC USA's two Bantry Bay gigs, Loyauté and Humanité, and likely a third Bantry Bay gig, based in Tacoma, Washington, Verité. Each crew will have 20 crew members and 2-4 coaches. The Contest events will include rowing and sailing races, knots, and navigation competitions. Crews will have opportunities to mix together and make new friends. Team USA and the International crew will be camping near each other and training both separately and together at different times.
Greens Island is our training base next to Vinalhaven Island,13 miles east of Rockland, Maine. You will learn to row and sail the elegant, and exhilarating 38 ft long Bantry Bay gigs with skill and style, practice knots and splicing, anchoring and navigation. This training program is designed for young adults with a spirit of adventure, who wish to form a tight-knit team in learning, and honing rowing, sailing, and traditional seamanship skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere, and who wish to learn all the events for the Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship hosted in Belfast, Maine in July! At least six crew members in each crew need to be between ages 15 - 22 years old.
The boats require careful orchestration, communication, leadership, and teamwork to maneuver well. Every crew member will have many opportunities to lead throughout the program. With guidance from AC USA instructors and our cook, participants will rotate through a range roles each day on and off the water to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, or actively follow the stroke oar.
We will teach skills relevant to the weather and Atlantic Challenge International Contest Events presented each day. Many of the skills related to the Contest events include:
Points of Sail
Sail Theory
Sail Trim
Tides & Currents
Navigation
Reefing
Docking
Knots
Anchoring
Anchorage Assessment
Handling a dipping lug sail within a team
Steering Forces
Weather & Wind Awareness
Typical Daily Schedule of the Training Program:
6:30am Gather to stretch
7-7:30am Light Morning Row
7:45-8am Morning Dip
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea
9:30am Clean up, group chores (usually take no more than 15-20 minutes and include either group dish washing, refilling water jugs, getting the weather report, preparing food for lunch, etc), and personal time.
10:30am Gather to row/sail
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row/sail
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, put sails away).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, campfire, songs/tunes, etc
9-10pm Folks typically head to bed (to sleep in tents).
We'll start in Rockland, transport ourselves via ferry/powerboat to Greens Island and camp in tents, live without electricity for the one or two weeks of training, and become a cohesive team on and off the water.
Maximum group size: 24 people total including instructors and cook.
No prior experience necessary. This program starts in Rockland, Maine at the Rockland Ferry Terminal, and ends in Belfast, Maine at the Belfast Area High School. We can assist with transportation from the nearest airport (Boston, Portland, or Bangor).
Detailed logistics to follow.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.