Boothbay scholastic sailors competed at SailMaine Saturday in the Caper Classic Gail Winds Regatta. Twelve teams from Maine and Vermont raced in this venerable fall regatta. Frosty mist greeted sailors Ella Beauregard, Hamilton Barclay, Toby Clarkson, Bobby Clarkson and Alton Coolidge before arriving in Portland. Temperatures reached 50 F with light rain through early afternoon as a front passed through. Northwest winds shifted to the southwest causing the race committee to shift the course after each set.

Beauregard and Barclay commanded the first race and the series winning 4 of 6 races in A division. Cape Elizabeth finished second in A Division. The second race saw the Boothbay pair falter at the start and battle from deep in the fleet to finish 4th. Boothbay and host Cape Elizabeth swapped leads. B Division sailors saw seventh grade Toby Clarkson crewing for skipper Coolidge get their first varsity start in these positions. The pair first sailed together last week for the Pen Bay Regatta in Castine. They took the lead on the downwind leg of their first race in B Division to push Boothbay ahead of Cape Elizabeth. They took 8th in the next race putting Cape Elizabeth ahead by two.

Beauregard and Barclay won races 3, 4, and 5. Toby Clarkson switched with older brother Bobby for the next set in the B Division with Coolidge. They finished second and seventh in the second set. The Boothbay team was now 1 point ahead of Cape Elizabeth going into the final set.

Beauregard and Barclay went for a pin start and found themselves OCS and needing to reround the starting pin to start correctly. They quickly went right and found shifts and puffs to tack on and rounded right behind Cape Elizabeth, Greely, and Falmouth. They passed all and put Falmouth between them for the win and a 3-point lead. The final race in A Division saw an even worse start and the Boothbay pair struggle to finish 4th. Coolidge and Bobby Clarkson had a three point lead going into the final two races. They blasted off the start and led the race to the finish. The final race, with a 4 point lead was a show down between Cape Elizabeth and Boothbay. Another poor start by the Boothbay boat was compounded by sailing into a no-wind hole from which recovery was impossible. Cape Elizabeth finished with 35 to Boothbay’s 43 points.

Cape Elizabeth, Greely, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Cheverus and Portland all benefit from home water advantage at SailMaine. These teams traded the top four places with Boothbay. Chubb Junior National competitor Catherine Morrisette sailing for Falmouth was particularly fast either as crew for a younger skipper or as skipper when called upon. Team parents host weekend events with food and hot coffee and chocolate.

The team competes next at the Ranger Rally hosted by Greely High School at SailMaine, then host the last Pen Bay Regatta of the season at Boothbay Oct. 21.

The BRHS sailing team is supported by the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club and the BHYC Junior Program Foundation.