The One Design Race and the Blessing of the Fleet marked the beginning of Windjammer Days. Only five One Design boats raced, but four more were seen cruising the harbor. Bittersweet owner Jon Dunsford said the race was once taken quite seriously, but the goal in recent years has been making sure there are as many boats in the harbor as possible to celebrate the class of boats and to kick off the annual Windjammer Days.

Among those sailing for fun was Alan Miller, owner of #0 Loon, the 1937 One Design prototype and queen of the One Design fleet which celebrates its 80th birthday July 21.

“We had a nice sail today," Miller said to Dunsford, owner of #20 Bittersweet. "Wasn't that fun? You were steaming along today."

Only two of the five racing boats finished the race – #25 Charisma owned and captained by Eric Hakanson and his son Eric Hakanson Jr. and Dunsford’s #20 Bittersweet captained by Lee Corbin and him.

The two boats were close throughout until Hakanson decided to fly a spinnaker, a large balloon sail released in addition to the main and jib sails.

"(That) means he owes me time," said Dunsford. "So I said to him 'If I go to the race committee and ask for time … do you think they'll give me the 11 seconds you beat me by?'"

Hakanson told Dunsford it was really up to him if he wanted to bring up the rule book to the committee. Dunsford said he would rather have a beer.

Racers this year decided to start at 1 p.m. and since the purpose of the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club committee boat was to give the J-Class yachts practice for the upcoming regatta in August, the One Designs started on a line just outside Tumbler Island circuiting the inner harbor three times. The four noncompeting boats joined the racers after about one lap.

"Then we crashed through the fleet. That was funny. It always is every year. And with that going on, how can you have a serious race? You can't, so you don't."