Built in 1977, the 914-ton Guayas is a training ship for the Ecuadorean Navy and was christened in honor of an 1841 steamship, the first to be constructed in South America. As a participant in the 1980 Tall Ships Races, she earned the American Sail Training Association Cutty Sark Trophy for international friendship.
Based in Guayaquil, the 257-foot-long three-mast bark carries eighty cadets under the guidance of thirty-five officers and experienced crew.
The Guayas was in San Francisco for Tall Ships 2002.
Master Mariners Benevolent Association was formed in 1867 by owners of coastal and Bay working schooners to raise funds for the families of sailors lost at sea by scheduling an annual race to settle arguments among shippers as to who had the fastest vessels. In this century, the purpose of the organization and its 130+ member vessels has evolved to fostering the maintenance and preservation of traditional sailing craft, with funds raised going towards scholarships for sail training, internships in traditional craft skills, and restoration projects.
The Memorial Day weekend Regatta, and Wooden Boat Show in late June, are the primary events sponsored by MMBA.
Part of the team for this event (above) had the privilege of sailing on the Guayas from San Francisco to San Diego.
Alison Healy (top of stairs in blue jacket) signed on as a volunteer for the 1999 event and was ultimately hired to plan events to greet the ships and host the captains and young cadets. When the financial plug was pulled, dozens rowed off in lifeboats. Alison took the helm. With a small group of dedicated volunteers, she stayed the course. She has a 20-year history in the field of marketing, public relations and special events. In Boston, her special events company earned the "Best of Boston." She sold the company, consulted on international projects, and moved to San Francisco.
She also produces the San Francisco Maritime Museum's annual Festival of the Sea, which delights thousands of families with maritime displays, old-world games, sea chanteys, and boat building at Hyde Street Pier each Fall.
Dianne Levy is Founder and CEO of The Maritime Heritage Project, a California non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving California shipping history and a 25+ year veteran of a major daily newspaper where she managed one of the largest media fundraisers in the country and one of the largest Independence Day events in the U.S. Her great-great-grandfather, James H. Blethen, and great-grandfather, James H. Blethen, Jr., were Master Mariners who plied Pacific waters from 1851 through the turn of the century.
| Gale Brewer | Dave Burnley | Captain John Carlier |
| Steve Christman | Ward Cleaveland | Alice Cochran |
| Mary Ann Connaroe | Ana Belan Diaz | Laurence Dray |
| Guy de Lacrosse | Peter English | Earl Frounfelter |
| Sherri Ferris | Ann Gralneck | Captain Larry Hall |
| Patti Hart | Alison Healy | Catharine Hooper |
| Steve Hyman | Captain Frank Johnston | Ruy Kern |
| Terry Klaus | Dianne Levy | Kathy Lohan |
| Captain Diego Mantilla | Don Maskell | Lynne McFarlane |
| Ian McIntyre | Denise Turner | Ray Truman |
| Rick Saber | Christa Schreiber | Joanne Scott |
| Bob Partridge | Arianne Paul | Ron Phillips |
| Jayne Preston | Rusty White | Captain David Wood, Ret. |
| Daniela Rahm | Jason Rucker | Connie Skoog |
| Denize Springer | Doug Storkovich | Tarbrush |
| Burnett Tregoning | Jim Wiltshire | Kit Wallace |
| Russ Wallace | Fran Zone |
INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS
Ward and Elaine Anderson
Lawrence Barbu
Peter Blake
James E. Brennan
Wayne and Lorraine Brown
Claire Brouwer
Ward Cleaveland
Peter and Kathryn English
Lloyd and Dorothy Erion
Jay and Diane Fry
Barbara and Allison Healy
Marilynn Ann Juncker
Janna and James Maes
Ms. Marjorie A. Martin
Paul and Nancy Reck
Robert M. Rogers
Stuart Riddell
Robert Rutz