The Volvo Ocean Race And the Festival of Tall Ships Help Make 2009
An Extraordinary Year on Boston Harbor
When skipper Ken Reed and Antonio Bertone, Chief Marketing Officer for PUMA North America first asked Save the Harbor/Save the Bay to help them bring the Volvo Ocean Race to Boston, we knew that 2009 was going to be an extraordinary year on Boston Harbor.
During the three week race stop-over at Fan Pier in Boston, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay ran 11free educational and experiential trips for youth from the Boston Public Schools and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston. Over 1,000 youth participated in the program, learning about sailing and the sea from race crew members and taking part in a presentation about the race, a tour of the race village to view the boats, and a narrated Harbor cruise to learn about the maritime history of Boston Harbor and the Boston Harbor Clean-Up.
"The season got off to a great start" said Bruce Berman, Director of Communications for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. “The Volvo Ocean Race provides a terrific opportunity for young people to learn about our maritime history and the marine environment. It was also tons of fun for everyone involved."
Thanks to Leighton O'Connor for the use of this great photo!
“It’s a great way to share Boston Harbor and the excitement of this great event at Fan Pier with young people from across the City” said Joseph F. Fallon, President and CEO of The Fallon Company, LLC, who hosted the stopover. “I am confident that Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s youth environmental education programs will create a connection between these kids and the sea that will last a lifetime, and we are proud to be a part of it.”
"Events like these strengthen the value of Boston Harbor as a destination for residents and visitors alike" said Patty Foley, President of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, adding " It is great to see so many people on Boston Harbor in the springtime."
The Volvo Village and PUMA Citywere so successful in“activating” Fan Pier and drawing thousands of visitors to the waterfront that the Commonwealth has permitted The Fallon Company to construct temporary commercial and retail structures on portions of the site that have yet to be developed. We are confident that these temporary structures will draw people to Fan Pier and activate the site during the next several years while the build-out is underway.
Just six extremely rainy weeks later, the Festival of Tall Ships arrived in Boston, bringing with it sunny skies and warm weather. We were looking forward to a spectacular event – and that’s just what we got, as regional residents and visitors alike took advantage of the opportunity to visit dozens of Tall Ships from around the world.
During the five days that the Tall Ships were in town Save the Harbor brought 1,200 young people from Boston’s neighborhoods and from the cities of Revere, Lynn, Quincy, and even Worcester and Springfield, onto the water to take part in the festivities. Participating youth took a Harbor cruise - narrated byour maritime historian David Coffin -and saw the spectacular ships from the water. They also learned about their place in local, national and international maritime history. After the Harbor tour, the youth then boarded the Canadian Tall Ship Concordia where they met the ship’s young crew and were able to explore the ship.
"Both the Volvo Ocean Race and the Festival of Tall Ships were a real boost for the city" said Foley." They provided a needed boost to the economy, and terrific opportunities for young people to experience the Harbor we have worked so hard to restore and protect. I am looking forward to working with government and the private sector as we look for new ways to put Boston Harbor to work for our city and the region."