First United States Coast Guard Academy Leadership 44 Training Vessel Scheduled To Launch
Ceremony Commemorates First of Eight Sail Training Boats Built Through a Partnership of the Coast Guard Foundation, Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association, Coast Guard Academy Parents Association and United States Coast Guard Academy

The Coast Guard Foundation, the Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association, the Coast Guard Academy Parents Association and the United States Coast Guard Academy, through a collaborative partnership, announced today that it will host the christening and launch of the United States Coast Guard Academy’s new sailing training vessel, L44-01 Shearwater, at the Coast Guard Academy Waterfront on Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 12:00 pm. As part of the Leadership 44 Campaign, the three non-profit organizations have raised nearly $6 million to build a new class of eight leadership sail training boats for the Coast Guard Academy. The event celebrates the launch of the first new vessel. The Leadership 44 boats will offer cadets the opportunity to learn the ways of the sea and provide valuable leadership and teamwork experience.

“The Leadership 44 Campaign is the first collaborative partnership of Coast Guard Academy stakeholders and will provide new training vessels for the future guardians of our shores,” said Robert Hallock, chairman of the Leadership 44 Campaign Committee. “The sail training program is instrumental in developing cadets’ aptitude on the water. It is not simply about learning how to sail; it’s about learning how to lead and work as a team which are vital skills for Coast Guard officers.”

The Academy currently employs only four boats for the Coastal Sail Training Program. Due to the limited number of vessels, not every cadet at the Academy is able to participate in the program. The new sloops, made possible by the Leadership 44 Campaign, standardize the offshore sailing program and allow a greater number of cadets to participant in an experience crucial to their transformation into officers. The Coast Guard Academy Leadership 44-01, Shearwater, was designed to optimize and enhance the training experience. A procurement committee, representing the interests of the Academy and the three non-profits, worked with naval architect David Pedrick of Newport, Rhode Island, to develop a custom design for the sailboats. Built by Morris Yachts of Trenton, Maine, the resulting boats have contemporary lines, simplified rigging and an improved sail plan that will meet the rigorous demands of the Coastal Sail Training Program and give the Academy excellent performance for years to come. “The current fleet is over forty-five years old,” continued Hallock. “The new USCG Shearwater and her sister vessels will help current and future Academy cadets prepare to effectively aid us in times of need and protect our country.“

The Leadership 44 Campaign partners are covering the majority of the cost of building the mold and constructing the new vessels. The federal government has committed to a substantial contribution by providing equipment, sails, engines, rigging and outfitting for each boat. The additional seven Leadership 44 vessels are scheduled to be finished in 2012.