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For the Media: Colgate 26 News
Steve Colgate
Chairman
Colgate 26 - Offshore Sailing School
866-842-4355 toll free
239-985-7505
steve@Colgate26.com
MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY ADDS TO ITS COLGATE 26 FLEET
FT. MYERS, FL (December, 2006) – With more vessels than any U.S. maritime college, the Maine Maritime Academy has added three more Colgate 26 sailboats, for a total of eight, to its training fleet. The first four Colgate 26 were purchased in 2004, following the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Coast Guard Academy in selecting the Colgate 26 as the #1 choice for training students and intercollegiate competition, strong among these three service institutions.
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 boats sold so far are used by individuals who sail on lakes and bays for recreational fun, racing or both,” said Steve Colgate, founder of Offshore Sailing School.
The original Maine Marine Academy’s Colgate 26 fleet of four was quickly 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 racing coach at the time, raved 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, U.S. Coast Guard 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.
For more information on the Colgate 26, please contact Steve Colgate, 866-842-4355 toll free or 239-985-7505. Email steve@Colgate26.com.
Editor's Note: For a high resolution image to accompany this article, please contact Doris Colgate, doris@OffshoreSailing.com.
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