MEDIA CONTACTS:
Cynthia Goss (203-453-2731)
Susan Daly (401-848-5777, ext 220)

For Immediate Release

Museum of Yachting Launches Wednesday-Afternoon Curator Tours in July

Newport (R.I.) June 19, 2009 — Starting in July, visitors to the Museum of Yachting will have an opportunity to tour the museum's three summer exhibits with curator Jay Picotte on Wednesday afternoons. The tours will give museum-goers deeper insight into the watercraft and historic events featured in exhibits this summer and will also draw like-minded individuals with an avid curiosity about maritime heritage. The Wednesday tours will run for seven weeks, starting on July 1 and ending on August 12.

The Museum is featuring three exhibits this summer. Picotte will rotate his tours each hour between the three displays, according to the following schedule:

Wednesdays, 2 pm-3 pm: "Coronet: The Long Life and Revival of an Historic American Schooner Yacht," a display that focuses on a 133-foot, 1885 yacht that has intrigued people with her majesty and mystery. The exhibit includes photography and artifacts that depict Coronet's opulent interior, as well as a focus on the yacht's colorful owners and sometimes-controversial adventures at sea. Coronet is currently being restored at the International Yacht Restoration School; a water taxi is available to take visitors across the harbor.

Wednesdays, 3 pm-4 pm: "Imagination in Scale: The Practical Art of Ship and Yacht Models," where toy-like ship and yacht models capture the imagination of children and adults alike. The museum's display showcases the artistry, functionality, and painstaking detail of yacht models, which also served as functional tools for yacht designers and builders. The exhibit is coupled with the first public showing of the William H. Combs Miniature Model Collection, housed across Newport Harbor at the International Yacht Restoration School Visitor Center.

Wednesdays, 4 pm-5 pm: "The America’s Cup – The Newport Years," covering the rich history of the America's Cup, which has been closely linked with Newport since the race first came to this waterfront city in 1930. The Newport years of this legendary event were marked by innovation and legendary characters—from Harold “Mike” Vanderbilt and Sir Thomas Lipton, to Ted Turner and Dennis Conner.

The Museum of Yachting is located at Newport's Fort Adams State Park and is open daily from 10am – 6pm and closed on Tuesdays. General admission is $5; free to members of the Museum and the International Yacht Restoration School; free for children under 18 and students with a valid student ID. There is no extra charge for the Wednesday tours.

For more information visit www.moy.org or call 401-847-1018.