Mumfest Sailing

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New Bern has a BIG open-air festival every autmn. It has been going on for 31 years now and is called MUMFEST (link). This year the NBHS-NJROTC Sailing Squad participated in this grand event and put on a sailing demonstration for the first time.

The weather turned out beautiful. However "just in case" things turned out not so great, we used the Javelins which are built a bit tougher than the Flying Juniors (they also weigh more than twice as much!). Our sailing demo was scheduled to happen right after the rescue demonstration by the Marine Corps HH-46 helicopter & Coast Guard crews.

Here is the VMR-1 Search-And-Rescue helicopter, universally known by it's call sign PEDRO, hovering over the Neuse River off the town front of New Bern. Their SAR missions have included the rescue of many civilian boaters over the years; we are very lucky to have such a capable unit stationed nearby.

In most military operations, in order to be sure of being at the correct place at the correct time, we arrive plenty early. The Mumfest demo sail was a good example of this "hurry up & wait" principle, but this time it was a lot of fun to loiter just outside the operation area. There was a GREAT breeze for sailing!

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Here is the PEDRO rescue demonstration. You can see the down-wash of the helicopter would present a major hazard to small craft especially sailboats. At the far right is the Union Point pavilion, at the far left is the USCG 41-foot vessel.



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Next, it's our turn to show off! Here is the Javelin fleet headed right into Union Point, sailing "wing & wing" which is one o the more difficult points of sail. Of course only the real sailors in the crowd on shore can appreciate this, and unfortunately the sailboats cannot approach the shore closely because of shallows & rocks along the edge of Union Point.


However, anybody can see the boats being handled skillfully in close quarters. And everybody would enjoy the sight of these graceful little vessels sailing along the historic New Bern waterfront.


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The boats have gybed, then turned onto a close-hauled course... these are basic maneuvers we cover in the sailing course, when sailing near a rocky lee shore it pays to have perfect control of the vessel... not to mention we don't want to wreck one of our boats in front of a crowd of onlookers.





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This was a longer day of sailing than our usual training sessions. The sailing cadets got to stop in town (thanks to the Galley Store (link) who kindly let us use their dock) and also met the Coast Guardsmen on their 41-ft vessel.

Here is the Sailing Squad Commander forgetting his dignity for a moment, signalling that he is ready for MORE SAILING!

We hope that the NJROTC Sailing Squad will be ready & able to make this an annual event. We have events in the Spring, the Open Regatta; and now a Mumfest Demo Sail in the Fall.



...posted by Assistant Coach Douglas King