The beautifully restored Commissioner's House overlooks the Royal Naval Dockyard. At the base of the bluffis the Neptune figurehead from HMS Irresistible. arms through the Union blockade to the Confederate States. The Museum houses an attractive and coherent series of tableaux devoted to "Rogues and Runners: Bermuda and the American Civil War." The story that emerges illuminates a relatively unknown aspect of the war. And as with other Bermuda museums, this one is set in an environment with a history of its own. The building was the home of the British Governor, and the town of Sr. George's itself, with its historic waterfront, is being considered for selection as a World Heritage City.
Naval History Both the Royal Navy and the US Navy have figured importantly in Bermuda's history. The islands' importance as a navy base grew significantly after Britain lost the American colonies, at which point Bermuda was the only potential British naval base between Halifax and the West Indies. The Royal Naval Dockyard-mostly convict-built-that began to emerge early in the 1800s was a direct result. The visiting naval ships and the military establishment associated with the Dockyard were pervasive forces in the local economy and culture, until the Dockyard was closed as a military facility in 1951. During World War I and particularly during World War II, the US Navy succeeded the Royal Navy as a major presence in Bermuda. A 99-year lease of Bermuda base rights was granted to the US Navy in 1940 in exchange for 50 destroyers, transferred to the Royal Navy for the crucial Battle of the Atlantic. One noteworthy aspect of the US Navy presence, which officially ended in 1995, was that it was characterized by a strong mutual respect. An exhibit in the maritime museum is devoted to Bermuda's US naval facilities. A Unique Sailing History The sport of blue-water racing of sailboats represents one of the most colorful chapters in Bermuda's maritime history. And much of that chapter centers on the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Probably the best known sailing event associated with this group is the Bermuda Race, run today from Newport, Rhode Island. The history of this famous ocean race began in 1906 with the advocacy of Thomas Flemming Day, the controversial editor of The Rudder in
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the US, who scoffed at the popular idea that ocean racing by pleasure yachts was too dangerous. With the added support of Sir Thomas Lipton, who donated a cup valued at ÂŁ100, three boats started the race from New York on 26 May 1996. Five days, six hours and 29 minutes later the 38foot yawl Tamerlane crossed the finish line and a great ocean racing tradition was born. The RBYC also sponsors other major sailing events, including an International Race Week and the King Edward VII Gold Cup Match Race. This past summer, Bermudans welcomed an international fleet of sailing ships as they rook part in Tall Ships 2000, many of them racing to Bermuda from Cadiz, Spain. (See story, p34.)
A Special Dimension The sea provides; the sea teaches. And in the four centuries since Sir George Somers and his shipwrecked mates struggled ashore, nowhere has this been displayed more alluringly than in Bermuda. Maritime matters have played defining roles in the islands' history, and the result is a durable and amiable society. Discovering that history, and the national personality that it has nurtured, provides a surprisingly evocative view of Bermuda, one that goes far beyond what the average tourist sees, one that reemphasizes just how powerful the influence of sea history is. ,!,
Above, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club; below, the replica of Deliverance in St. George's.
RADM Joseph F Callo, USNR (Ret) is an Advisor to NMHS, a frequent contributor to Sea History, and the author of Legacy of Leadership: Lessons from Admiral Lord Nelson (Hellgate Press, 1999).
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