Scores of Boaters Sail for America This Weekend

To honor the victims of September 11, some people lit candles. Others planted sunflowers. On Saturday, September 14, hundreds - perhaps thousands - of boats will drop their anchors in New York Harbor and hoist their sails in tribute to those who lost their lives that day.

"Sail for America" should draw the greatest gathering of sailboats New York Harbor has ever seen. Its organizers say the event, which will continue through the 15^th, has three goals: to memorialize those who were lost; to serve as a symbolic rebirth for the City; and to show the world America's soaring spirit.

"Out of tragedy and great destruction, we are creating a vision of hope and beauty," says Michael Fortenbaugh, chairman of the organizing committee and commodore of the Manhattan Yacht Club, which came up with the idea for the event last December.

Fortenbaugh anticipates that "Sail for America" will draw boats from the entire eastern seaboard, and from as far away as Europe, the Caribbean and the West Coast. Though registration is not required, more than 1,000 sailors already have signed up with boats whose names range from @sea to Zoetrope.  So far, the smallest vessel is 14 feet long, and the largest, 192 feet.

Come Saturday, the boats will feature other names as well. In August, "Sail for America" organizers unveiled a plan to fly -- from the mast of each sailboat -- a personalized memorial flag for every victim of the September 11 attacks. 

Catherine DeRubbio came up with the idea and people from around the country were given the opportunity to sponsor a pennant for $12 a piece.  Mrs. DeRubbio is married to a chief in the New York Fire Department.  Though he survived, his brother did not.  On the day the plan was announced, one hundred flags were sponsored.  Today 3,026 flags, representing all the people who were killed in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, have been claimed.  The proceeds will cover the production of the red and blue-bordered pennants, which will be delivered to the victim's families after the event.

The weekend's events will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, when the John J. Harvey fireboat departs from near North Cove and motors past the Statue of Liberty. This will be the signal for all boats in the harbor to raise their sails. The day's events will include a memorial regatta, a parade of boats -- as well as a parade featuring boats that participated in the September 11 rescue efforts.  The regatta, a sailboat race through the harbor, will begin at 10 a.m.

At 2 p.m., rescue boats will parade from the Verazzano Bridge to the George Washington Bridge.  Cruising sailboats will parade past North Cove and pay respects to the World Trade Center site at this time.  At 7 p.m. on Saturday, a "Sail for America" dinner will take place at Harry's at Hanover Square in Lower Manhattan.  Tickets for the dinner are $100 per person and can be purchased on the "Sail for America" website.

On Sunday at 12 p.m., the weekend's events will close with the start of "Around Alone," an annual, around-the-world solo race that first took place in 1982.  Normally departing from Newport, Rhode Island, the race will set sail this year from ground zero in honor of the victims. It will be the first, around-the-world race ever to depart from New York City.