Sailors to race Delaware River

As part of the New Jersey State Aquarium's Columbus Day Celebration, the first annual "Aquarium Cup" regatta will be held on the Delaware River this Sunday at noon. The event will be sponsored by the Delaware River Yacht Racing Club (DRYRA)and coordinated by the Liberty Yacht Club. It is expected to last approximately two hours. According to DRYRA vice commodore Matt Curtin, the race will feature two vessel classes, cruising racing boats and lasers. The cruising racing boats range in size from 20 to 45 feet while the lasers are about 18 feet long. "It's a little unusual for two types of sailboats to be represented in one race," Curtin said. The race, which begins in front of the Aquarium on the Camden Waterfront, features either a four or eight mile course. Depending on the wind conditions, the boats will make either one or two laps around the course. The participants will head north to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, turn around and head along the waterfront to the Walt Whitman Bridge, several miles south. At the bridge, the vessels will do an about-face yet again for the return to the Aquarium. Curtin said the best vantage points for the race will be from the Aquarium's observation deck and a park adjacent to the Aquarium. Penn's Landing on the Philadelphia waterfront will also be a good lookout, he added. Although this is the Aquarium Cup's first year, it has evolved from the earlier Moshulu and Philadelphia Cups. According to Spokesperson for the Aquarium Dawne McHugh, this year's race will be followed by a celebration and awards ceremony at the Aquarium. There will also be a Coast Guard display on boating safety, she said. The timing of this year's event is important, Curtin said. "We chose this time to coordinate this event with the Aquarium's Columbus Day celebration," Curtin said. "It also was appropriate because Columbus and sailing ships have a strong connection." Curtin has high hopes for the success of the event, which currently has about 30 entrants. "I would expect a few thousand people to show up," he said. "The Aquarium generally has a strong crowd on Sunday afternoons."