NEW BEDFORD, Mass., — July 28, 2013 — The last time New York Yacht Club vessels sailed into the Port of New Bedford for a "rendezvous" was 1857 — until Saturday.
It was a big deal then, bringing top yachtsmen to the city and inspiring paintings from famous artists — and according to James Russell of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the club's return Saturday was just as important.
"We wouldn't see this caliber of yachts with their owners coming unless they felt there was a genuine appeal," said Russell, who sailed Saturday aboard the yawl Bolero, one of the most prestigious and prize-winning yachts in the country.
"This all bodes very well for branding the city."
The 73-foot Bolero was among 11 other yachts that sailed into the harbor on Saturday, their owners taking in the mighty fishing fleet that marks New Bedford's port.
Bolero's owner is Ed Kane, a Boston nightclub magnate who spoke to a Standard-Times reporter from his mooring, "with a gentle breeze enjoying a cocktail."
"New Bedford is one of the most important harbors in the Northeast, and we're delighted to have a historic vessel in a historic harbor," Kane said.
Sailing from Newport this morning, Kane said the wind was good, the seas flat, and the temperatures warm — "perfect conditions."