Photos: Glenmar Sailing Association Races

The Glenmar Sailing Association’s Performance Handicap Racing Fleet races have a history that is intertwined with the history of the Middle River area and of the nation as a whole.

The history was charted by Glenn L. Martin, written and paid for by the American Congress and built by the hardworking people of Middle River. 

Glenmar Sailing Association's foundation was laid down in early 1928 when the Glenn L. Martin Co., known for its American military aircraft manufacturing, selected the wooded lowlands of Middle River to build its newest plant.  

From this point it was a three-year-long struggle to acquire the land needed from 45 property owners. This struggle involved convincing the citizens this was going to become a booming industry and would provide many jobs in the area.  

By Oct. 7, 1929, he had changed the area into a modern aircraft plant with 1,500 employees. At the site, 200 acres were for the factory and 1,000 acres were for the airport.  

The plant took advantage of the area's proximity to local railroads as well as the area's peninsulas, which cut the land in half a dozen places, providing ample landing space for amphibious planes. For years, Martin had pushed the importance of amphibious aircraft to the war department. With pilots such as Billy Mitchell and the famed MB2 Bomber, five ships were sunk, convincing Congress and the public of amphibious aircraft's efficacy and the need for them.

Glenn L. Martin hired many people from New England, who brought their culture of sailing and fishing to Bowley Quarters and Middle River. The broad peninsulas also provided many bootleggers with convenient coves to offload their product from Canada. Glenn L. Martin employees would often race these whiskey vessels for fun or profit.

Glen L. Martin encouraged activities among Martin employees and contributed to their interests with the use of plant facilities. In 1947, the Glenmar Sailing Association joined the likes of the reading club, the sewing circle and bowling teams to promote sailing among interested Glenn L. Martin employees.

To be a regular member, you had to be a company employee. The company agreed to pay for all the trophies and printing in addition to supplying a meeting place.  

Since then, the membership has opened to the general public and dues have increased, but the association still provides quality sailing opportunities for interested sailors.  

The Glenmar Sailing Association’s Performance Handicap Racing Fleet races are held on Wednesday evenings from May through September, with one Friday night race and one Saturday race.

The courses are set up in the area outside Bowley's Bar inside of the Hart-Miller Dike, between Booby Point and Seneca Creek. Sailors interested in racing can be put in touch with captains looking for crew on the Associations Crew Forum. The association also offers cruising events such as the family cruise, pirates cruise and Halloween cruise.