Three blind sailors compete Saturday

A crew of three blind sailors and one sighted captain will set sail in the 19th MS Regatta in Portland Saturday, marking the first time that a boat with a mostly visually impaired crew will sail in the multiple sclerosis charity event.

The 32-foot sloop-rigged Solstice, sponsored by the Portland-based Friends International and its Sailing for Peace program, will be guided by crew members Tracy Libby of Portland, Steven Obremski of Standish and Jim Phipps of Chebeague Island.

The crew will be captained by Albert Kolodji, who is sighted.

Kolodji plans to let the crew take total control, althought he plans to stand with the person at the wheel and give some directions.

“I’m hoping to keep my hands completely off, just guide them through it verbally,” he said. “As soon as we leave the dock I’m going to try to make sure a blind person is at the wheel and they’ve hoisted up the sails.

The regatta will start at 11 a.m. with a parade through Casco Bay, past the tall ships docked in Portland Harbor for OpSail 2000. After the parade the boats will line up near Fort Gorges at the mouth of the harbor. The starting gun will go off at 12:30 p.m.

The only problem Kolodji foresees could occur at that point. With 30 boats in Solstice’s class, there should be plenty of bumping and jockeying for position at the line, and boats could come within four feet of each other.

Lou Bergeron, the founder and president of Friends International, will also be on Solstice for the race.