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The Los Angeles Maritime Institute is currently making a major investment in the restoration of the square topsail schooner Swift of Ipswich. Everyone is looking forward to her returning to the TopSail Youth Program, alongside the twin brigantine, Irving Johnson and Exy Johnson, providing character building sail training adventures for youth. As LAMI’s original vessel, Swift of Ipswich is a learning environment that nurtures the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are necessary for the education of today’s youth, but difficult to teach in a traditional classroom. About two thirds the size of one of LAMI’s twin brigantines, Swift is especially well suited for working with smaller, younger groups of who might be overwhelmed by the size and complexity of the LAMI brigantines. Swift is a special favorite of youth-of-all-ages, many of whom sailed her as Girl Scouts over 40 years ago…we are looking for Swift sailors who’d like to renew friendships, retell memories and support her restoration. Built to the lines of an historic Revolutionary War privateer, Swift of Ipswich was once the personal yacht of actor James Cagney and has been known as a floating landmark, mostly serving youth, in Southern California for over 60 years.