Sometime this summer, construction is set to begin on a 704-megawatt offshore wind farm called Revolution Wind in southern New England waters. Inevitably with a project of this magnitude, there is much to learn, and that’s a primary driver behind an unusual new partnership between Revolution Wind and Shields Class Fleet 9, based in Newport, Rhode Island.
“This partnership represents an entirely new type of alliance for a regional one-design fleet for the benefit of both its members and clean-energy advocacy,” says John Burnham, Fleet 9’s immediate past captain. “We believe that recreational sailing and the Revolution Wind project can safety coexist in and around the waters of Rhode Island. As sailors, we support efforts to harness the power of wind to bring clean energy to the region.”
Revolution Wind is a 50-50 partnership between Ørsted, a global leader in offshore wind, and U.S.-based Eversource. It’s located in a 257-square-mile lease area in federal waters. Revolution Wind will be about 12 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, 32 miles southeast of Connecticut, and 15 miles south of Rhode Island. It borders two neighboring offshore wind projects also operated by Ørsted and Eversource, and it’s estimated to be fully operational by 2025.
Offshore wind energy is, of course, a controversial topic, and as Burnham says, “Not everybody is in favor of offshore wind or where this is. But we’re not going to be able to change that. So, our feeling was let’s take advantage of this opportunity.”
“We did it really for practical reasons,” Burnham says. “We think partnering with them provides a seat at the table, however small. They’re providing some funding we can use to not only educate our fleet members on what they’re doing and give fleet members access if questions or issues arise, but also to help us encourage our own seminars and educational work in the Shields fleet.”
Among sailors’ concerns, Burnham notes, are the actual location of the farm as it relates to offshore sailing; whether sailors will be able to navigate through it (they will, as it’s a 1-mile-spaced grid, fully lit and marked); how close the blades will be to the sea surface (126 feet from the water at highest astronomical tide); and how they may affect local wind.
As part of the collaboration, Shields Fleet 9 and Revolution Wind will offer presentations and articles to educate fleet members and the region’s passionate sailing community about the project, which is being built to provide renewable energy for more than 350,000 homes in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Rhode Island has set a clean energy goal of 100% renewable energy by 2033. Connecticut wants 100% from carbon-zero sources by 2040.
Fleet 9 has more than 400 members and supporters; as pointed out in a press release, it “represents the largest collection of one-design keelboat sailors in the country and includes sailing Olympians, Rolex Yachtsmen and Yachtswomen of the Year recipients, America’s Cup sailors, Sailing Hall of Famers, and a cadre of top amateur and professional sailors, boatbuilders, and other leaders in the sailing community.”
As such, Burnham notes, Fleet 9’s members’ influence expands well beyond the fleet and Shields sailors, and the information they gather will likewise spread farther throughout the sailing community.
The Shields fleet under sail at the 2022 Nationals held off Newport. Photo by Stephen R Cloutier
“Through our partnership with Fleet 9, we are committed to fostering a strong relationship between the local sailing community and our offshore wind projects,” Ray Collins, manager of legislative affairs for offshore wind at Eversource Energy, said in a media release. “By working together, we can create a safe environment for the maritime community and ensure that we can coexist as we continue to develop a clean source of energy critical to mitigating the devastating impacts of climate change.”
Shields Fleet 9 joins other regional entities, including Mystic Aquarium, the Niantic Children’s Museum, and the Herreshoff Marine Museum, in supporting the project.
May 2023
