St Mary's College Launch#

   
FIG. 1A aerial view of the Launch Area, FIG. 1B view of the St. Mary's venue looking NW 
to view a land photo:   if browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), use "control =" to zoom in by hitting the "=" key while the ctrl key is depressed. 
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Located in St Mary's City (another name for the St Mary's College area) on MD Rt 5 near the mouth of the St Mary's River.  It is about 90 min (60 miles) south on MD Rt 5 from the capital beltway I495.

To get there, use MD Rt 5 south from the Capital Beltway (I495) exit 7.  Bypass Waldorf, La Plata and Leonardtown.  Upon entering St Mary's city on MD Rt 5 south, the river appears on your right.  Immediately after passing the water on your right is a small road on your right called Trinity Church Road.

FIG. 2 turnoff for launch -- launch is to the right of the white building
to view a land photo:   if browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), use "control =" to zoom in by hitting the "=" key while the ctrl key is depressed. 
To zoom back out, use "control -".  If browser is Netscape or Firefox, simply right click on the photo and then select "View Image")

  To the right of the intersection of this Trinity Church Road and Rt 5 is the launch.  Drop your gear off at the launch and park in the visitor's parking lot up on the hill to avoid trouble.  To get to the parking lot, travel up the hill on Trinity Church road, make a sharp left onto Old State House Road, and the parking lot is on the right near the Historic St Mary's City and the Farthing's Ordinary.

FIG. 3 view of parking lot at top of hill (to view a photo, right click on photo and then select "View Image")

  See http://www.smcm.edu/pdfs/campus_map_june07.pdf for more details.  Launch is at bldg # 34

The launch faces NW into the St Mary's River.  Hence, the launch is best for winds out of the NW or W.  These optimal winds often occur in the colder months of the year when a cold front plows through.  However, the launch will also work on Southerly winds by sailing around the point just to the WSW of the launch. 

FIG. 4 view looking south from point -- note opening which acts as a funnel when a southerly thermal wind develops to view a land photo:   if browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), use "control =" to zoom in by hitting the "=" key while the ctrl key is depressed. 
To zoom back out, use "control -".  If browser is Netscape or Firefox, simply right click on the photo and then select "View Image")

The launch is beginner friendly.

The large white building stores windsurf gear for the college and not for the public. This college windsurf center was started by a Farrah Hall, when she was a student, and is still in existence today.  Farrah is now a professional racer.  Read all about her at http://www.farrah-hall.com/. 

FIG. 5 view of the launch (near the sand bags) and the windsurf center (white building) with MD Rt 5 in the background to view a land photo:   if browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), use "control =" to zoom in by hitting the "=" key while the ctrl key is depressed. 
To zoom back out, use "control -".  If browser is Netscape or Firefox, simply right click on the photo and then select "View Image")

    The St Mary's College launch provides a quiet and off the beaten track environment to launch from, away from the bustling city life.