The Sailing Museum of Newport, Rhode Island, To Open Soon
The May 6 opening of the Sailing Museum on Newport, RI’s storied waterfront is bittersweet for America’s Cup winner and former president of the board of directors of the National Sailing Hall of Fame, Gary Jobson.
“It was sad that we were unable to build a suitable facility here in Annapolis,” he told SpinSheet recently. “We tried for 14 years and were unable to secure the necessary funds. It’s a miracle that the museum will open (soon). Three years from groundbreaking to finished product. Wow. Very impressive. The fundraising has exceeded our expectations. The refurbishment of the building and the buildout of the exhibit space was budgeted at $8.7 million. We have exceeded that goal, and we will open the doors debt free.”
Jobson still serves on the board of what is now the Sailing Museum. He remembers one of his early walk-throughs of the 118-year-old Armory. He recalls the cavernous space and mused about what surprises might lie beneath the walls.
Sailing Museum executive director Heather Ruhsam says that managing the renovation of the former Amory was challenging. “Luckily, we had a great partner in Kirby Perkins Construction. Jerry Kirby helped us identify some potential problems and guided us through the renovations. We ended up taking the building down to the studs: all new HVAC, new wiring, a new roof, even new bathrooms. A perfect canvas for the exhibits that are just now being installed. It also helped that Jerry is an accomplished sailor in his own right having been part of six America’s Cup campaigns. When Jerry has an idea about the space and how sailors will react to it, we all listen to what he has to say.”
The goal, according to Jobson, is to create “a living memorial to all the sailors who have come before us… and to inspire new generations to take up the sport we love so dearly.”
Annapolis sailor, restauranteur, and former president of the National Sailing Hall of Fame board Dick Franyo is proud of the groundwork he and others put in over the years in bringing to life a vehicle that would recognize the leaders of the sport.
“You might say we got the ball rolling years ago. I wish we could have fulfilled the vision here in Annapolis, but now that the Armory has been renovated and the exhibits are going in, I support the new Sailing Museum 100 percent. This will be wonderful for the sport; to engage new sailors and recognize our sailing heritage.”
The 11,000-square-foot facility utilizes a number of high-tech and low-tech tools to engage visitors “and give them a sense of what sailing is all about,” says Ruhsam. Six sailboats hang from the 27-foot-tall ceiling. A real-life outline of the 1977 America’s Cup Yacht Courageous adorns the floor as you enter the exhibit space. Impressive, but not groundbreaking.
But wait: there are lots of gee-whiz aspects to this museum. The Sailing Museum will offer sailing enthusiasts the chance to revel in their sport and new sailors to be enticed to take to the water for the first time. A personalized journey (via RFID or radio frequency identification) through six thematic areas begins with the selection of a boat. For sailors, they can select from one of seven on a screen; while those experiencing sailing for the first time will be given the option of a short quiz that will help them select a boat. For all, this boat will become their avatar throughout their museum experience, guiding them through the interactive elements, several of which will be specific to their selected boat.
Two virtual reality experiences are sure to bring the sailing life up close and personal. “We have a dome where guests hop aboard a Sail GP F-50 catamaran. That’s a rush. We also have an area where they can pilot a Trans Pac yacht along the coast of Hawaii. Very cool.”
The museum will also include the only on-site Virtual Regatta experience in the country and connect visitors with an interest in trying sailing to providers locally and nationally. A corresponding educational program will be offered for visiting groups with school-aged children.
The main hall of the museum is divided into six thematic areas: Wind and Water; The Making of a Champion: Mental; The Making of a Champion: Physical; Teamwork; Competition; and Legends of Sailing—National Sailing Hall of Fame & America’s Cup Hall of Fame.
Ruhsam’s enthusiasm for the project is contagious. “Our goal is to create an educational experience for school-aged children that is complementary to what is currently being taught on the dock or in the classroom. The Sailing Museum will be able to offer a hands-on and high-tech platform to illustrate some of the more challenging concepts, or those that are weather dependent. REACH (US Sailing’s youth program) is implemented at 400-plus sailing centers and events across the US, and as the nation’s sailing museum it makes sense to align our educational programming with that of US Sailing,” she says.
At press time the exhibit space is taking shape in a flurry of activity much like opening night for a Broadway show. “This is the exciting time,” Ruhsam says. ‘It is mind blowing to see everything coming together. Our goal is to be fully operational by May 6. I know there will be some challenges in the weeks ahead, but we have a resourceful team committed to doing everything we can to show our first guests an incredible experience.”
Ruhsam tells SpinSheet that their consultants project that around 75 percent of museum visitors will be non-sailors. “That puts a tremendous burden on us to create an experience that engages the general public while at the same time entertaining and educating our core sailor crowd.”
Find tickets and more at thesailingmuseum.org. ~by Craig Ligibel
