Conceived as an opportunity for scholastic sailors in grades 6-12 to gain experience in competitive sailing, the Pen-Bay League was chartered this summer by the high school coaches of Mount Desert Island, George Stevens Academy, Oceanside, Rockland, Isleboro, Camden Hills, and Boothbay Region Sailing Club. Saturday, Oct. 1, the second of three League events was hosted by the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club and its sailing team. BHYC's Sailing and Racing Chairmen, Alexander "Sandy" Taft and Bill Hunt, along with parent Eric Graves of Boothbay Harbor Shipyard manned Race Committee boats. Parents Mike Beauregard and Pam Pearce, John and Kerry Rideout, and "team moms," Melissa Culina, Stephanie McSherry and Carol Barclay, prepared stew, chili, burgers, hot dogs, coleslaw and desserts for the hungry sailors.

Racing got started at 1235 under cloudy skies and 10-12 knots of wind out of the ENE. The windward-leeward course with a windward offset mark and leeward gates was set up within 200' of the shoreline fronting the Maine State Aquarium making for grand spectating for those that did not make it onto boats.

It became clear right away that Rockland, MDI, and Boothbay would be vying for top honors. MDI took the first race with the Boothbay A boat crewed by Ella Beauregard (Center for Teaching and Learning) and skippered by Hamilton Barclay (Boothbay Region Elementary School) taking third in between the A and B boats of Rockland. The four boats finished within two boat lengths. The Boothbay B boat crewed by Nate Rideout (Boothbay Region Middle School) and Gabby Boord skipper (Boothbay Region High School) had a difficult start but came on strong on the last leg and finished 7th.

The second race had the Isleboro B boat leading for three legs only to be passed by Beauregard and Barclay at the final weather mark and carrying on to finish 1st with MDI and Rockland B close behind. The third race saw Rockland A shine hitting all the shifts and taking first with Oceanside and Boothbay coming in second and third. 

The pivotal 4th race saw MDI's A boat over early (OCS) at the start and not return. They earned 13 points for the error. While the Boothbay A boat was hailed for failing to keep clear when heeling to leeward to initiate acceleration just prior to the start by the leeward Oceanside boat. Later in a protest hearing, the Boothbay boat was disqualified for the race, costing them the overall Regatta lead. Barclay, was quoted later as saying, "The Oceanside boat did not give room and opportunity to stay clear when they got to leeward, there was no one and no room between us and the RC boat. If it happens again, I'm still not sure I would do the circles." The B Boat had its best race of the series to that point managing a mid-fleet 6th place finish. Boord said, "The start cost us."

On the fifth race the wind started to oscillate towards the north. The Race Committee moved the marks near the shoreline adjacent to the Shipyard to keep the windward orientation. Nonetheless the wind shifted even more during the start sequence and port tack was heavily favored. The start saw five boats on port with seven bearing down on them -- gel coats were in peril. The Boothbay boats started on starboard and caused each other consternation. Both fought back from a deep start with the Boothbay B boat now skippered by Liam Cullina (Lincoln Academy) and crewed by Nate Graves finishing ahead of their mates taking 4th. Races 6 and 7 saw the wind oscillate from north to northeast causing some exciting port tack starters either crossing the fleet or getting pushed back to the left of the course. Boothbay sailors did well here with the Beauregard and Barclay knocking off two first place finishes and Graves and Cullina nabbing a 7th and a 3rd. 

The Race Committee shortened up the course a few hundred feet for races 6 through 10 and removed the gates to send the boats to windward and return across the northwest end of the harbor. Beauregard and Barclay posted finishes in races 8 through 10 with 2, 2, 3; while Graves and Cullina posted finishes of 11, 10, and 6. After the protest hearing Beauregard and Barclay's A Boat dropped from 24 to 35 points good enough to win their Division again, but dropping to second overall. Rideout, Boord, Graves and Cullina's finished 3rd in B Division and eighth overall. The team took second overall behind Rockland and in front of MDI. 

The next Pen Bay event is at Rockland on Oct. 16. You can see our Boothbay sailors in action in the harbor Monday through Thursday during practices from 4 to 6 p.m. The sailors will be racing in Portland Saturday.