The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) is partnering with two historic sailing yachts that have moored for many years in North Cove Marina to offer free community excursions to the public. This offer is being made in conjunction with Brookfield Properties, the owner of the Brookfield Place office and retail complex, which was awarded the contract to operate North Cove in 2015, and International Global Yachting (IGY), the subcontractor for Brookfield that manages day-to-day operations at the Marina.
The Community Summer Sail Program will welcome guests aboard the Ventura (a 1919 racing yacht designed by the legendary nautical architect Nathanael Greene Herreshoff) and the Shearwater (a 1929 Newport-style schooner yacht that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009) on five dates in the next six weeks.
Ventura will host “Water Stories” (the first in a planned series of harbor history presentations) on July 31, from 10:30am to 12:30 pm and “BYO Doggie” (a cruise for families who wish to bring their pets) on August 14, from 10:30am to 12:30 pm.
Shearwater will receive guests for the “Harbor Sail” on two Saturdays (July 23 and August 20), from 10:00 am to noon, both of which will trace a grand circuit around New York’s port, and the City Lights Sail (an appreciation of the Manhattan skyline from the rarely seen vantage of the Hudson River) on Wednesday, August 3 (from 9:30 to 11:00 pm).
Anyone wishing to reserve a free Community Summer Sail space on Ventura should browse www.smarttix.com and enter the search term ‘SAILING.’ Those seeking a berth on Shearwater should email Kieran Carley (kieran@manhattanbysail.com) a message with the subject line “Community Sail,” and the date they wish to attend. All tickets will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
BPCA president and chief operating officer Shari Hyman said, “through this unique, free summer sailing experience, we are redefining community in the best possible way — by uniting the residents of Battery Park City with the iconic ships that call North Cove Marina in Battery Park City home.”
“I’m thrilled that the BPCA and Brookfield have extended themselves to the community via sailing trips on Ventura,” said Captain Pat Harris. “The boat has been a real part of the community fabric here for decades, through all the good times — and, when needed, in the bad times as well. This community sailing program is a real ‘tip of the cap’ by the Authority and Brookfield to the local residents and their connection to Ventura.”
“I am truly grateful for the support of the Battery Park City community has shown to Shearwater over the years, said Captain Tom Berton. “It is a great thing that Brookfield, IGY, and BPCA are taking historic sailing seriously and I believe that this is just the beginning of a long productive partnership that will give even more harbor access to our wonderful community.”