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Varsity Maine

Falmouth high to drop its yachtsmen nickname and mascot.

The school board votes to retire a nickname that was viewed by some as gender-biased and elitist.

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The Falmouth school system has decided to get rid of a mascot that some saw as gender-biased, others viewed as elitist, and most of all was basically ignored in recent years.

So long Yachtsmen. Time to sail away.

“This is my fifth year here,” as athletic director, said James Coffey, “and to be honest, there was never a whole lot of pride within the school for the nickname. It’s not really visible anywhere. It’s not on uniforms.

“I feel like a lot of students are very indifferent about it,” Coffey said.

Which is exactly what student surveys conducted by the middle and high school Civil Rights Teams discovered, said Ashley Pullen, the co-advisor for the high school group as well as Falmouth’s varsity girls’ lacrosse coach.

“The general takeaway from both buildings was that about two-thirds of the students either disliked the nickname and had feelings of it being exclusive, or were indifferent to it,” Pullen said. “The results from the community survey were similar.” Advertisement

Falmouth’s school board voted unanimously on Monday night to retire the nickname, which seems to have originated in a Portland Press Herald sports story in 1948. By 1950, Yachtsmen appeared in the school yearbook.

“It was kind of haphazardly given to us by a sportswriter and there was no real intention behind it,” Pullen said, noting that as a girls’ coach, “I’m not going to have them cheer, ‘Go Yachtsmen,’ and to be Lady Yachtsmen is ridiculous.”

The mascot is also portrayed as a white man in the form of the now seldom seen costumed character named Yachtie, who had a black beard, a sailor’s hat, and a menacing scowl.

Coffey said the costume is still in a storage closet but “he hasn’t been worn in a good two years anyway. Nobody would wear it.”

To Coffey, that spoke of the school’s indifference, if not dislike, for their nickname, which promoted a perception that Falmouth is full of rich white people who own yachts. In addition, none of the school’s current uniforms include the word Yachtsmen.

“Certainly we have other equity-related work to do as a district, the mascot is a teeny, tiny piece of that,” Pullen said. “But it is a concrete starting point of putting the image out there that we are a more inclusive district, or at least not an antiquated, exclusive mascot.”

The school does intend to keep its ship’s wheel logo and the blue and gold colors. Those qualities, along with the “Go Falmouth” chant surveyed favorably, Pullen and Coffey said.

Coffey will chair a committee to determine a new mascot name that will incorporate the wheel logo, hopefully in time for the 2021-22 school year.

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Falmouth schools to drop 'Yachtsmen' mascot

FALMOUTH (WGME) – Beginning next fall, the Falmouth Yachtsmen will no longer be known as the “Yachtsmen.”

Maine high school sports make changes to mask requirements

The Falmouth School Board has voted unanimously to retire the Yachtsmen name. The process started a year ago, when an inter-cultural and awareness committee through the district decided that the nickname and mascot didn't fully represent the entire student body. From there, students and faculty got behind the idea and began reaching out to community members and alumni.

Falmouth Athletic Director Jim Coffey will be putting a committee together to help select the new nickname and logo.

"We want to keep that ship wheel,” Coffey said. “We want to keep those colors, and so it will continue to be some type of nautical theme and that ship wheel will still be the prominent thing so it's a little easier in a way, because we can narrow our search a little bit and it's an easier transition for us maybe than other schools."

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Maine high school will do away with ‘Yachtsmen’ nickname

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FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) — Time for Yachtie to walk the plank.

A Maine school system has decided to ditch the nickname and mascot “Yachtsmen” for its high school sports teams. The Falmouth mascot had been portrayed via a costume character named Yachtie, a bearded sailor, who has not appeared at games for a couple years.

The “Yachtsmen” nickname drew criticism of gender-based bias and elitism in recent years. Recent student surveys also found that many students disliked it or were indifferent to it altogether.

The school board in Falmouth voted unanimously to put an end to the nickname Monday. It had been in use since at least 1950.

School officials hope to settle on a new mascot in time for next school year.

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Founded in 1869, three years after the city of Portland was leveled by the great fire, Portland Yacht Club is one of the oldest, continuously operating yacht Clubs in the US. The Club is located in Falmouth, Maine, on the shores of beautiful Casco Bay, just north of Portland. PYC is a private Club, open only to members, their guests, and visiting yachtsmen.

• Mailing Address: 40 Old Powerhouse Road Falmouth, ME 04105
• Phone: 207-781-9820
• Hailing frequency: Channel 68
• General e-mail: [email protected]

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From mid-May through mid-October, the clubhouse opens each day at 8:00 AM (9:00 AM after Labor Day). Closing time during June, July, and August is 9:00 PM. Closing times happen earlier in May and after Labor Day. For off season and after hour inquiries, please email the Club Manager at [email protected]

Pleas contact Membrship Committe Chair, Ann Blanchard, to learn about our application process.  [email protected] .

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PYC has a variety of rooms that can accommodate private parties and events. For weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, business events and more, PYC has breathtaking views, professional staff, and a beautiful facility that will meet your needs and make your celebration special.

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Falmouth High School Baseball

The navigators of falmouth, maine, falmouth navigators @ marshwood hawks, smaa playoff qtr final: falmouth yachtsmen @ marshwood hawks, falmouth yachtsmen vs marshwood hawks.

FALMOUTH 7, MARSHWOOD 3

Connor Coffin drove in two runs, and Garrett Tracy had two of the six hits for the Yachtsmen (3-3) against the Hawks (4-5) at South Berwick.

Trevor Chase had a pair of hits for Marshwood.

Batteries— F, G. Tracy, D. Tracy (6); M, Place, Weaver (4), Davis (4), Janetos (5). WP— G. Tracy. LP— Place. 2B— F, Manganello; M, Place. Repeat hitters— F, G. Tracy; M, Chase.