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3/12/2004 2:02:20 AM |
A Legend Is Launched |
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Shrouded in a mysterious fog, the lady loomed, tall and sleek. True to her name, she was the embodiment of romance, adventure and intrigue.
A symphony sounded dramatic chords in the background, and she slowly, smoothly glided off, touching down quietly in her watery milieu. As she came to rest, the sun broke through and shone on this new resident of the deep, colors waving brightly and trimmings gleaming like jewels. It was the water birth of a star, a re-birth of a legend.
Scheherazade, the 154-foot luxury yacht built by Hodgdon Yachts, was launched at high noon on Saturday, Sept. 27, into the Damariscotta River in East Boothbay.
Despite the heavy mist which at first obscured the top of the vessel`s 185-foot main mast, the event went off smoothly, witnessed by an estimated 3,000 spectators on land and sea and punctuated periodically by the thunderous boom of nearby cannons.
The names of the yacht`s owners, Bill and Barbara Stewart, were revealed for the first time during speeches by Tim Hodgdon, president of Hodgdon Yachts, and interior designer Andrew Winch of London, ending some of the mystery surrounding the vessel.
"... It has been Mr. and Mrs. Stewart`s vision that has brought concept to reality and turned lines on paper into this dynamic yacht," said Hodgdon in his remarks. He thanked the Stewarts for entrusting their complex, world-class project to the Hodgdon team and congratulated all of the craftsmen for their achievement.
"Currently, Scheherazade is the largest, most complex sailing vessel being built in the Western Hemisphere," he said. "The challenges have been tremendous.
"She is being built at this yard because of the skill level of the people in this area, and credit goes to the Stewarts for recognizing this fact. The Boothbay region and the state of Maine should be proud.
"...The level of talent that has assembled here is second to none... Everyone who has worked on Scheherazade, in whatever capacity, has left their mark on this vessel. On behalf of the yard, I thank you all for your efforts and I congratulate you publicly for building such an uncompromised sailing vessel. These individuals worked towards a single-minded unity of purpose to produce what is before you today...
"The designs of Bruce King Yacht Design and the interiors of Andrew Winch Designs Limited are without question the most beautiful in the world today..."
Hodgdon called attention to Scheherazade`s connection to the past, both in her legendary namesake and in her manufacture, combining traditional wooden shipbuilding craftsmanship with space-age materials and state-of-the-art technology.
"...Thousands of vessels have slid into this section of the Damariscotta River over the past 200 years," said Hodgdon, alluding not only to the family business which has been building boats since 1816 but to the history of other shipbuilders, past and present, in the area as well.
"I would like to thank the local community whose shipbuilding heritage we are proud to have contributed to," said Hodgdon. "... The tradition of shipbuilding is one of the things that makes Maine, Maine."
Scheherazade, he said, named for the clever and exotic heroine of The 1,001 Arabian Nights, "will continue with unimagined adventures on her voyages to distant ports of call... Scheherazade will add her name to the illustrious list of ships that have started their sagas in this harbor. Not only is she a powerful and sophisticated sailing machine, but, like her namesake, she is elegant, captivating and has many stories yet to tell."
Andrew Winch, designer of the yacht`s interior who flew from London with his staff for the launching, said, "This is without a doubt the most beautiful yacht created in the world at this moment." |
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