"Grand Regatta Columbus 92-Quincentenary"  
 
by Yole Aroha 
 
in Five Hundred Magazine  (April 1990, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 16-17).
 
     During the fifteenth century, caravels and galleons were
used as vehicles of exploration, trade and warfare.
     A lot of time has passed since then and thunderstorms as
well as the span of time have been successful in destroying these
vessels, but the memory of those valiant navigators and their
voyages are etched in history forever.  There is no doubt that
one of the greatest accomplishments achieved by man constitutes
the departure of Christopher Columbus from Puerto de Palos
accompanied by his intrepid mariners and the Pinzon brothers
towards an uncertain future, but with an enormous amount of faith
and conviction.  After challenging the uncontrollable forces of
storms and the desperation of calm winds, they uncovered a world
unknown to them and with this discovery they opened new frontiers
and a new outlook that would totally change the face of the
earth.
     It is precisely the quincentennial celebration of the
discovery of America by Christopher Columbus that marks a perfect
occasion to remember this man, whose imagination and determina-
tion conceived and realized a great feat, with an event having
international repercussions:  THE GRAND REGATTA COLUMBUS 92-
QUINCENTENARY.
     To coordinate the activities surrounding this unique event
and to stimulate participation from the whole world, an inter-
national committee has been created comprised of representatives
from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Puerto Rico, United States and the
United Kingdom, countries that will embrace the ports of call for
the GRAND REGATTA.  The honorary members of this international
committee are His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain; Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain; President of the United
States, George Bush; His Excellency Mario Soares, President of
Portugal; and His Excellency Francisco Cossiga, President of
Italy.
     The Sail Training Association, relying on its vast ex-
perience in the organization of grand nautical events, will
oversee and advise the committee on the technical aspects of the
regatta.
     The Grand Regatta's primary objective is to foster an
awareness and camaraderie between the respective crews and the
inhabitants of the cities where the regatta will strike land.  In
the regatta thousands of tall ships and sailboats will par-
ticipate, originating from all corners of the world.
     The participating vessels are divided into three different
categories:  Class A, consisting of ships of 160 feet or more;
Class B, which includes ships of 100 to 159 feet in length; and
Class C, all other ships with length of not less than 30 feet.
     The ships originating from Northern Europe will congregate
off the coast of Lisbon between April 23 and 25, 1992; those
ships from the Mediterranean will gather in Genoa between April
16 and 19, 1992, departing in two separate regattas towards the
Spanish port of Cadiz where all the ships will assemble from
April 29 to May 3, 1992.
     In reality, the Grand Regatta will take place from the port
of Cadiz, Spain south to San Juan, Puerto Rico, stopping at the
Canary Islands.  The regatta will depart again on May 13, 1992
from the shores of the Gomera Islands, the final island that
Christopher Columbus reached during his first voyage.  From San
Juan, Puerto Rico, they will depart on June 4 towards New York to
attend the grand naval parade in New York Harbor on July 4. 
Following the parade, the ships will set sail on July 7 for
Boston, where they are expected to arrive July 11 and will stay
for a period of five days before departing for Liverpool,
England.  It is expected that the regatta will arrive at this
port between August 13 and 16, 1992.
     In the United States, the Christopher Columbus Quincentenary
Jubilee Commission, in conjunction with its maritime committee
headed by Mr. Frederick W. Guardabassi, will undertake all the
preparations involved with the Grand Regatta and will depend on
the technical expertise of the American Sail Training
Association.
     The United States will be represented by the 266 foot Tall
Ship "Eagle" constructed in 1936 and with a crew of 189.  The
United States Tall Ship Foundation is currently building a tall
ship as tribute from this country to the discovery of America by
Christopher Columbus.  It will be designed and built in the
United States using American equipment, materials and labor.
     The visit of the Tall Ships and other vessels participating
in the Grand Regatta will be accompanied by a series of
exhibitions, festivals, conferences, receptions for the par-
ticipants of the regatta and other special events that will,
without a doubt, long endure the person and symbolism of
Christopher Columbus and his fearless mariners who 500 years ago
embarked on an unknown journey with the hope of finding them-
selves new lands.
 
Reprint permission granted by author.                             
                                                  AROHA-01.ART