Mystic, Conn. (June 7, 2021) – Mystic Seaport Museum and Discovering Amistad are collaborating to bring a Juneteenth Celebration to the grounds of the Museum on June 19. Amistad, the 128-foot flagship of the State of Connecticut, is currently on display at the Museum’s waterfront.

Juneteenth is a historic day that marked the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers delivered the news to Galveston, Texas that the Civil War was over and enslaved African-Americans were free. Texas was the last state to be informed that slavery had been abolished, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

On Saturday, June 19, Discovering Amistad, in collaboration with Mystic Seaport Museum, has planned a special program – including live music, a panel discussion, a “Harambee” reflection, and tours of the schooner Amistad – to commemorate Juneteenth. The 2-hour program is designed to increase awareness and to highlight the roles that we all can play to dismantle racism.

The program begins at 3 p.m. Admission to the Museum is free after 2:30 p.m. for those attending the event. Guests are asked to identify themselves at the gate to facilitate entry.

“Juneteenth is a day to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of the African-American community, both historically and in the present day,” said Paula Mann-Agnew, executive director of Discovering Amistad. “It’s a day to recommit ourselves to addressing racism and promoting social justice.”

For more details on the Juneteenth Celebration, please visit www.discoveringamistad.org/news-events/2021-juneteenth or www.mysticseaport.org/juneteenth.

Media Contact     

Dan McFadden
Director of Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
860.572.5317 (o)
860.333.7155 (m)
dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the world. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Mystic, Conn. (April 30, 2021) — Mystic Seaport Museum announced its support for Governor Ned Lamont’s proposal to subsidize free visits to the Museum this summer for Connecticut children and an accompanying adult.

“Mystic Seaport Museum is delighted to be part of this exciting initiative. As Connecticut begins to open up we welcome all children from across the state to take this opportunity to engage free of charge with their maritime spirit, to breathe the sea air and to recharge their batteries in one of the most exciting, educational and beautiful places in the state,” said Peter Armstrong, president of Mystic Seaport Museum.

The Museum welcomes the opportunity to provide free access to those who have never visited before and never had the occasion to explore their connection to the sea in the Museum’s many historic ships and exhibits.

The free admission is part of the Governor’s spending proposal for the American Rescue Plan Act, which seeks to provide children with access to enrichment and to address the impact of the pandemic on the state’s youth due to the physical and social isolation experienced during the public health emergency.

The Museum looks forward to working with the Governor’s office and the General assembly to implement this aspect of the Act.

Media Contact
Dan McFadden
Director of Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
860.572.5317
860.333.7155 (m)
dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the world. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

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Mystic, Conn. (March 30, 2021) — Mystic Seaport Museum will present its 2021 America and the Sea Award to Terry Hutchinson, one of the most admired and respected sailors in the yacht racing circuit and most recently the skipper, executive director, and tactician for the New York Yacht Club American Magic campaign for the 36th America’s Cup.

The prestigious award recognizes those individuals and organizations whose extraordinary achievements in the world of maritime exploration, competition, scholarship, and design best exemplify the American character.

Hutchinson will be honored for his storied record as an outstanding yachtsman, his multiple world championship wins, his courageous America’s Cup campaigns, but most especially for the leadership, integrity, courage and humility he has demonstrated as the leader of the American Magic campaign. Hutchinson exemplifies the very pinnacle of competitive sailing, both in victory, and in defeat.

“What truly sets Hutchinson apart is his leadership. He held his team together to compete in the America’s Cup, battling COVID-19 restrictions and numerous changes in fortune, including a severely damaged boat. Hutchinson led his team with the humble charisma that has defined his entire sailing career, indicative of the American spirit that the America and the Sea Award seeks to honor,” said Mystic Seaport Museum President Peter Armstrong.

“I am incredibly humbled by this honor,” Hutchinson remarked upon receiving the invitation to accept the 2021 award. “Tom Whidden, the 2020 award recipient, has been a great mentor, friend, and leader in our sport. To follow in his footsteps and that of the other great recipients is an absolute honor.”

Hutchinson’s reputation as an outstanding sailor and teammate began with his college sailing career at Old Dominion University, where he helped lead the team to four national championships, and continued through 16 World Championship wins, and 5 America’s Cup campaigns. Hutchinson was named the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year twice, which is a testament to the respect and admiration the sailing community has for him.

Mystic Seaport Museum will recognize Hutchinson’s exceptional career by awarding him the America and the Sea Award on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. The award presentation will take place at the Metropolitan Club in New York City.

This affair is the premier fundraising event for Mystic Seaport Museum. Past recipients of the America and the Sea Award include America’s Cup Hall of Famer Tom Whidden, one of the most acclaimed sailors of all time; American businesswoman and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt, whose ocean explorations have advanced our understanding of the ocean’s biodiversity and vulnerability; groundbreaking Whitbread and America’s Cup sailor Dawn Riley and Oakcliff Sailing; philanthropist and environmentalist David Rockefeller, Jr., and his Sailors for the Sea; boat designers Rod and Bob Johnstone and their company J/Boats; author and historian Nathaniel Philbrick; maritime industrialist and NYYC Commodore Charles A. Robertson; Hall of Famer sailor and author Gary Jobson; WoodenBoat Publications founder Jon Wilson; former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman; oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle; America’s Cup sailor William Koch; President and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation, Thomas Crowley; historian David McCullough; and the first honoree, legendary yacht designer Olin J. Stephens, II.

For invitations, please email advancement@mysticseaport.org.

Media Contact

Dan McFadden
Director of Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
860.572.5317
dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography in the world. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Mystic, Conn. (February 25, 2021) — Mystic Seaport Museum is offering free admission to health care workers, first responders, and all other essential workers on Saturdays in March.

The free admission is being given as part of the Museum’s Caring for Our Community program and is intended as a way to say “thank you” to those keeping the community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Free admission will include a ticket for the essential worker. Guests accompanying the worker will receive the Museum’s discounted group rate.

Personnel in the following groups will receive free admission:

• Health Care Workers
• Firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• Law enforcement including local police and State Troopers.
• Educators
• Grocery store and food service workers

This is only a partial list of essential workers. Please reference the State of Connecticut’s definition for the complete list: https://bit.ly/2P0BMc5

Workers must present their badge or proof of employment when they arrive at the Museum. The free and discounted tickets will only be available in person and will not be available online. The Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those days.

Media Contact

Dan McFadden
Director of Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
860.333.7155
860.572.5317
dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Kilroy-Kialoa Collection Chronicles Transformative Period in Yacht Racing

Mystic, Conn. (February 10, 2021) — Mystic Seaport Museum announces the donation of a significant collection of 20th century yachting materials related to the renowned sailor John B. “Jim” Kilroy Sr. and his yachts named Kialoa. This donation was made by Kilroy’s daughter Patrice Kilroy, who wished that the story of her father and those who sailed with him would be preserved and shared with future generations.

The materials contained in the collection include personal correspondence, design memoranda, drawings, ratings protocols, race notes, planning items, logbooks, annotated charts, photos, scrapbook clippings, movies, plaques, trophies and other materials which document 50 years of American yachting at the highest levels of competition.

“Jim Kilroy and the Kialoas were synonymous with big boat sailing during a transformative time in the sport. The best amateur sailors aspired to crew for Kilroy. Many of his crew went on to impact sailing in their own rights. Mystic Seaport Museum is the perfect place to keep the Kilroy-Kialoa Collection safe and accessible for marine historians and generations of sailors to come,” said Sheila McCurdy, Mystic Seaport Museum trustee and past commodore of the Cruising Club of America

From 1956 to 2005, Kilroy owned and raced five Maxi boats carrying the name Kialoa. The racing successes that Kilroy and his amateur crews achieved on every ocean of the world are exceptional. In 1975 alone, they won 11 major ocean races, including the Transatlantic, the Fastnet, and the Sydney-to-Hobart Races. The Hobart win in 1975 set a record time that stood for 21 years despite the advances in materials and technology that transpired during those decades. Kialoa IV won 20 out of 24 races in 1981 and held the Maxi Yacht World Champion title for five years between 1981 and 1987.

This collection is important not simply because it documents the success of the Kialoa campaigns, but because Kilroy and the Kialoa boats were at the forefront of many advances in yacht design, construction, crewing, and technology. An early Kialoa was one of the first racing yachts built of aluminum, and Kialoa IV was an early example of the use of carbon composites and Kevlar, both adopted from the aerospace industry.

Kilroy famously used computers to aid in planning, analyzing and measuring success, and his early adoption of onboard computer data collection and use of computers to assist in tactical decision-making was at the forefront of what has now become the industry standard.

Kilroy was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2014. He passed away in 2016.

Mystic Seaport Museum is excited to begin cataloguing and digitizing this collection so that it can be shared with researchers, scholars, and enthusiasts alike. This is an important acquisition for the Museum as it advances the collection into the modern era of yacht racing.

Media Contact

Dan McFadden
Director of Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
860.333.7155 (m)
860.572.5317 (o)
dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org

Image Credit

Jim Kilroy aboard Kialoa III in the Miami to Monetgo Bay race 1975, Photo by Dick Enersen.

About Mystic Seaport Museum

Mystic Seaport Museum, founded in 1929, is the nation’s leading maritime museum. In addition to providing a multitude of immersive experiences, the Museum also houses a collection of more than two million artifacts that include more than 500 historic vessels and one of the largest collections of maritime photography. Mystic Seaport Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. For more information, please visit www.mysticseaport.org and follow Mystic Seaport Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.