MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY PURCHASES FLEET OF COLGATE 26 SAILBOATS
FT. MYERS, FL (JUNE, 2004) – With more vessels than any U.S. maritime college, the Maine Maritime Academy has recently added four Colgate 26 sailboats to its training fleet. It is the third prestigious maritime institution that has selected the Colgate 26 as the #1 choice for training students. Created by Steve Colgate, the Colgate 26 fills the demand for recreational boating and keelboat instruction by combining excellent sailing performance with safety, comfort, durability and minimum maintenance. “Although widely used for training purposes, most of the 219 boats out there were bought by individuals who sail on lakes and bays for recreational fun, racing or both,” said Steve Colgate, founder of Offshore Sailing School.
The Maine Marine Academy’s fleet was further complemented by a fifth boat when Chris Jeffrey, a member of the Castine Yacht Club, purchased and donated a Colgate 26 to MMA’s sail training and intercollegiate racing program. “In donating the Colgate to MMA, I created an ideal situation,” he said. “MMA takes care of all the tasks and costs associated with boat ownership such as winter storage, spring outfitting, maintenance, launch/haul, insurance and taxes. And, the MMA grants sailing privileges to its donors. Butch Minson, MMA's excellent racing coach, raves about the boat. We are hoping to one day have enough Colgate 26’s to invite college teams for one-design racing in Castine,” said Jeffrey.
More than 6,000 graduates lead lives of extraordinary achievement, in part because someone chose to support them while they were students at Maine Maritime Academy. In addition to being an excellent investment, the personal satisfaction and good will that this type of charitable donation fosters in the community may have tax benefits to the donor.
For generations, Maine has been known worldwide for the skills of her shipbuilders and sea captains, and for leadership in every phase of maritime affairs. It was in Maine that the first English ship built in America, the VIRGINIA, was launched in 1607, and now, in the 21st century, Mainers continue to build and sail vessels ranging from custom yachts to mighty warships. Windjammers, fishing fleets and America’s Cup defenders have all been part of Maine’s rich seafaring tradition.
Steve Colgate worked with naval architect Jim Taylor to create the Colgate 26, built by Precision Boat Works in Palmetto, Florida. In addition to the Maine Maritime Academy, it is used for training by Offshore Sailing School, Club Nautique, the U.S. Naval Academy and United Kingdom Sailing Academy. The safest boat on the market, the Colgate 26 is virtually unsinkable, even if holed, and the cockpit is completely self-bailing.
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(Editor's Note: For a high resolution image to accompany this article, please contact Mary Orme at 727-733-9332 or mary@amcEnergy.com.)