Join Maine First Ship’s annual gala dinner on Tuesday, May 2 at J.R. Maxwell’s in Bath, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Featured speaker is Virginia’s rigger, MFS board member and former tall ship sailor, Jim Nelson, who will be talking about “Tall Ships Now: Virginia’s Place in the Modern World of Traditional Sail.”

Nelson will discuss the rebirth of traditional sail in this country, the current state of the fleet and successful programs that can serve as a model for Virginia’s future. According to Nelson, “when the replica Virginia finally takes to the water, she will be more than just a fine tool for education and a link to Maine’s historic past. She will become part of the large and active fleet of tradition sailing vessels operating in the United States and around the world.”

Tickets are available from the MFS office on Front Street (above Maxwell’s), by telephone 443-4242, or by email mfs1@myfairpoint.net. Tickets are $35 each or two for $65. Ticket seekers might also purchase tickets by stopping by Virginia on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The dinner menu includes a choice of chicken cordon bleu, baked Maine haddock, vegetarian quiche, or New York sirloin steak, with apple crisp for dessert.

The event also includes a silent auction, and choosing the raffle winner of an MFS-student-built Bevins skiff. Raffle tickets will be available during the dinner.