[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 149 (Thursday, September 18, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S9040]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SENATE RESOLUTION 668--TO COMMEND THE AMERICAN SAIL TRAINING 
 ASSOCIATION FOR ITS ADVANCEMENT OF CHARACTER BUILDING UNDER SAIL AND 
             FOR ITS ADVANCEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL GOODWILL

  Mr. KERRY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 668

       Whereas the American Sail Training Association (ASTA) is an 
     educational nonprofit corporation whose declared mission is 
     ``to encourage character building through sail training, 
     promote sail training to the North American public and 
     support education under sail'';
       Whereas, since its founding in 1973, ASTA has promoted 
     these goals through--(1) support of character building 
     experiences aboard traditionally-rigged sail training 
     vessels; (2) a program of scholarship funds supporting such 
     experiences; (3) a long history of tall ship races, rallies, 
     and maritime festivals dating back as far as 1976; (4) the 
     Tall Ships Challenge series of races and maritime festivals 
     which have been conducted each year since 2001, have reached 
     an aggregate audience to date of some 8,000,000 spectators, 
     have had a cumulative economic impact of over $400,000,000 
     for over 30 host communities, and involve sail training 
     vessels, trainees, and crews from all the coasts of the 
     United States and around the world; (5) support of its 
     membership of more than 200 sail training vessels, embracing 
     barks, barques, barkentines, brigantines, brigs, schooners, 
     sloops, and full-rigged ships, which carry the flags of the 
     United States, Canada, and many other nations and have 
     brought life changing adventures to thousands and thousands 
     of young trainees; (6) a series of more than 30 annual sail 
     training conferences to date, conducted in numerous cities 
     throughout the United States and Canada and embracing the 
     Safety Under Sail Forum and the Education Under Sail Forum; 
     (7) extensive collaboration with the Coast Guard and with the 
     premier sail training vessel of the United States, the 
     square-rigged barque USCGC Eagle; (8) publication of ``Sail 
     Tall Ships'', a periodic directory of sail training 
     opportunities; and (9) supporting the enactment of the 
     Sailing Schools Vessel Act of 1982, Public Law 97-322, on 
     October 15, 1982;
       Whereas ASTA has ably represented the United States as its 
     national sail training organization as a founding member of 
     Sail Training International, the recognized international 
     body for the promotion of sail training, which itself carries 
     forward a series of international races amongst square-rigged 
     and other traditionally-rigged vessels reaching back as far 
     as the 1950s; and
       Whereas ASTA and Sail Training International are 
     collaborating with port partners around the Atlantic Ocean to 
     produce Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009, an international 
     fleet of sail training vessels originating in Europe, 
     voyaging to North America, and returning to Europe: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the American Sail Training Association for its 
     advancement of character building experiences for youth at 
     sea in traditionally-rigged sailing vessels and its 
     advancement of the finest traditions of the sea;
       (2) commends the American Sail Training Association as the 
     national sail training association of the United States, 
     representing the sail training community of the United States 
     in the international forum; and
       (3) encourages all citizens of the United States and of 
     nations around the world to join in the celebration of Tall 
     Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 and in the character building 
     and educational experience that it represents for the youth 
     of all nations.

  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, today it is my great pleasure to honor the 
incredible achievement, tradition, and performance of the American Sail 
Training Association, ASTA. This educational nonprofit corporation has 
allowed young participants from across the country to build character 
through sail training and to represent the United States around the 
world with distinction and good spirit. I am proud of the dedicated 
trainers who have taught young sailors to persevere in international 
adventures on brigantines, schooners, slops, and other vessels. I 
commend the efforts of the ASTA to provide such exciting and 
educational opportunities for youth, and I look forward to the coming 
Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009.

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