Godspeed Sails to Newport Commemorating America's 400th Anniversary

Godspeed Sails to Newport Commemorating America's 400th Anniversary

17th-Century Replica Ship Brings History to Life and Honors 'The Journey That Changed the World'

NEWPORT, R.I., July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Godspeed opened today at the Newport Yachting Center for the sixth and final stop in the 17th-century replica ship's 80-day tour of six East Coast cities. America's 400th Anniversary's Godspeed Sail brings the story of the journey that changed the world and the nation's birthplace, Jamestown, VA, to hundreds of thousands of visitors who will have a glimpse into early 17th-century America and the legacies on which our nation was founded.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051111/DCF015LOGO )

Docked in Newport July 25 - 30, Godspeed is accompanied by her "Landing Party Festival," a unique combination of education, entertainment and interactive experiences that is free to the public. Live music, family entertainment, and historical and cultural displays bring to life the American legacies of representative government, free enterprise and cultural diversity that first took root at Jamestown.

The Godspeed Sail event officially opened at noon on Tuesday, July 25. Mayor John J. Trifero and Jamestown 2007 Executive Director Jeanne Zeidler joined Godspeed Captain Eric Speth in an opening ceremony highlighted by the presentation of an America's 400th Anniversary flag to the City of Newport as the commemorative event's host city.

"The City of Newport is delighted to host the Godspeed Sail event as it commemorates America's 400th Anniversary. The presence of this 17th-century replica ship and the festival's many cultural and historical activities complements Newport's own proud history, maritime traditions and family entertainment," Mayor John J. Trifero said.

Visitors can board the Godspeed for dockside tours with historical guides in period costume, then take a "virtual" voyage in an on-shore motion simulator. Interactive exhibits give visitors the sense of what life was like in early Jamestown and America, while a gallery-in-the-round called "American People, American Progress" takes them on a journey through 400 years of contributions made by the Native American, European and African-American cultures that converged at Jamestown in the early 1600s.

Entertainment includes "Anniversary Voices," a live contemporary musical and dance production themed around America's 400th Anniversary. An original children's show, "Ba-baaah and the Windigo" features a cast of whimsical characters in a Jamestown story from the point-of-view of a young Indian girl and some of the indigenous animals present when the ships first arrived.

Joining these commemorative productions on the Godspeed Stage, July 25 - 30, will be a wealth of diverse regional talent, including Bob Olson, Djembe Dell'Arte: Troupe Komee Josee, Hawk Henries, Brian Webb, Wild Goose Nation, Marc Bernier, Middlesex Concert Band, Colonial Navy of Massachusetts Fifes & Drum Corps, the Ocean State Children's Choir, the Lafayette Band and Wampanoag Nation Singers & Dancers, as well as the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums from Williamsburg, VA.

Also taking the spotlight as headline entertainment are recording artists Scott Miller & the Commonwealth (July 29 at 8-9 p.m.); and Jen Chapin (July 28 and 30 at 8-9 p.m.). Scott Miller will perform rock'n'roll tunes from his new CD titled Citation. New York-based singer-songwriter Jen Chapin's 2004 release Linger was lauded by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as being "smart, observant, lyrically deft, politically aware and emotionally intuitive."

Following her six-day stay in Newport, the Godspeed will return to her homeport in Jamestown, VA. To date, the Godspeed Sail has visited six ports this summer and educated and entertained more than 400,000 visitors in the following locations: The historic Old Town Waterfront in Alexandria, VA, from May 27- June 4; Baltimore Inner Harbor from June 9 - June 12; The Great Plaza at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia from June 16 - June 19; the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City from June 27 - July 6; and the Fan Pier in Boston from July 14-19.

The 2006 Godspeed Sail is one of 10 signature events and hundreds of other community projects commemorating America's 400th Anniversary. America's 400th Anniversary features 18 months of special events, symposia and educational opportunities. The centerpiece event is America's 400th Anniversary weekend, hosted in America's Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown, VA, on May 11-13, 2007. Please visit http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/ to learn more about the Godspeed Sail and other America's 400th Anniversary events and schedules.

Jamestown 2007, a sub-agency of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, is coordinating efforts to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Va., the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Jamestown is also the site of the nation's first representative government, free enterprise and multi-cultural society. State, national, and international commemorative events to salute these legacies begin in May 2006 and continue into 2008. Major corporate sponsors of America's 400th Anniversary include Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC), Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and Colonial Williamsburg. More information about the commemoration is available at http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051111/DCF015LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Jamestown 2007

CONTACT: Kevin Crossett of Jamestown 2007, +1-757-253-4534,
cell: +1-757-508-4469, kevin.crossett@jyf.virginia.gov; or Robin Crawford,
+1-202-974-5025, cell: +1-202-378-8385, crawfordr@ruderfinn.com, for Jamestown
2007

Web site: http://www.americas400thanniversary.com/

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