New Bedford, MA— An Azorean whaleboat regatta to be held September 8-9, 2007 will highlight cultural ties between New Bedford, Massachusetts and the Azores, Portugal.  Hosted by the Azorean Maritime Heritage Society in collaboration with the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the City of New Bedford, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, Governo Regional dos Acores Comunidades, and Camaras do Faial and Pico, the regatta will bring together Azorean whaleboat crews from the islands of Faial and Pico in the Azores with their counterparts in New Bedford.  The schedule of events includes several opportunities for the public to learn more about Azorean-Portuguese history and culture and to watch teams from New Bedford and the Azores compete in whaleboat races off West Beach in the south end of New Bedford.

On Thursday, September 6th starting at 6:00 p.m., the community is invited to meet the crews, listen to Portuguese music by Ilhas de Bruma, and tour the Casa dos Botes (the boathouse) adjacent to the New Bedford Whaling Museum on the Water Street side. 

On Saturday, September 8th at 10:00 a.m., the public is invited to watch timed sailing races between teams from New Bedford, Faial, and Pico in Clark’s Cove off of New Bedford’s south end.  The best viewing will be from the boat ramp on the West Beach side. 

On Sunday, September 9th beginning at 8:00 a.m., members of the ladies team of the Azorean Maritime Heritage Society will kick off the day by demonstrating their rowing skills.  Immediately following at 9:00 a.m., teams from New Bedford, Faial, and Pico will compete in rowing races in Clark’s Cove off of New Bedford’s south end.  The best viewing will be from the boat ramp on the West Beach side.

Beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 9th after the final races, there will be a ticketed awards ceremony and reception, including a buffet and music, at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.  This event will celebrate the regatta participants and winners as well as the important linkages between the Azorean communities of the Azores and the New Bedford area.  Scheduled entertainment includes Fado singer Catarina Avelar from New Bedford and a quinteto from Faial, Filarmonica Unanime Praiense.  In addition, the mayor of Faial, Dr. Joao Castro, will present a lecture and film, “Baleias and Vulcoes”, which chronicles the volcano that devastated the island 50 years ago.  Tickets for the event are $25.00.  For tickets to the awards ceremony and reception, call John Pinheiro at (508) 997-3941 or the New Bedford Whaling Museum at (508) 997-0046.      

The Azores is a nine-island Atlantic archipelago, approximately 900 miles off the coast of Portugal and 2,000 miles from the U.S.  Discovered in the 15th century, the Azores played an important role in oceanic navigation, serving as a port of call for ships engaged in trade between Europe, America and India, and a place to lay anchor for the galleons bringing the wealth of the Americas back to the old world.  In the 19th century, the Azores was a key port for the American whaling industry.  Today, these lush green islands known as “the gem of the Atlantic” are an autonomous region of Portugal with its own parliament and government.

The City of New Bedford is a vibrant commercial fishing port located on the south coast of Massachusetts with a population of nearly 100,000.  The south coast region has a rich cultural mix of people who were drawn to the area first by the whaling industry, later by textile and manufacturing industries, and finally, by the fishing industry.  As early as the 1840s, whalemen from the Azores served on New Bedford whaling ships.  Today, over 64% of the population of the south coast region of Massachusetts is of Portuguese heritage. 

The Azorean Maritime Heritage Society was established in 1997 to “promulgate and preserve the values and traditions of Azorean culture, particularly that of Azorean maritime history.”  The flagship project of this all-volunteer community organization was the construction of two 39-foot Azorean whaleboats at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park on the grounds of the New Bedford Whaling Museum in 1998. 

The New Bedford Whaling Museum holds the world's most comprehensive whaling collections.  Highlights include a half-scale replica of the whaling bark Lagoda, a full-scale re-creation of a whale ship fo’c’sle, a 66-foot blue whale skeleton, and the soon to be created Azorean Whalemen’s Gallery, which will highlight the cultural connection between New Bedford and the Azores. 

Its collections embrace over 500 whaling implements; 2,000 paintings, prints and drawings; 35,000 original photographs and negatives; 2,000 scrimshaw items and carvings; thousands of ethnographic objects; hundreds of ship models; and an extensive collection of ship’s logs and records of international voyages.

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established by Congress in 1996 to help preserve and interpret America’s 19th century whaling history.  The National Park Service, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior, preserves over 380 nationally significant natural and cultural resources throughout the U.S. for the enjoyment and inspiration of this and future generations.  The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and stewardship throughout the U.S. and the world.

For more information on the New Bedford Whaling Museum or the Azorean Maritime Heritage Society, call (508) 997-0046 or visit the museum’s website at www.whalingmuseum.org.  For more information on the City of New Bedford, visit the city’s website at www.ci.new-bedford.ma.us.  For more information on New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, call (508) 996-4095 or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/nebe.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           

CONTACT:      

 

Jose Soares                                                         Jennifer Gonsalves                 

President                                                                        New Bedford Whaling NHP

Azorean Maritime Heritage Society                  (508) 996-4095 ext. 14

(508) 326-4822

 

John Pinheiro                                                     Eric Wagner

Regatta Chairperson                                          New Bedford Whaling Museum       

Azorean Maritime Heritage Society                  (508) 997-0046

jcp@luzoauto.net                                              

(508) 997-3941

Press Room

New Bedford 360 accepts Press Releases and Announcements from individuals, companies and organizations in the Greater New Bedford area.

You can submit your Press Release at no cost HERE.

Your Announcement or Press Release must be relevant to the Greater New Bedford community. We do not accept submissions from outside this area.

View all articles by Press Room