This week at the BHYC it was all about the Battle of the Bays. No fewer than 80 boats and 114 young sailors from clubs between York and Northeast Harbor gathered in Boothbay Harbor waters to contend for the top slot and champion the swashbuckling sailing expertise of their home waters. Nine clubs were represented. Sailors from Agamenticus Yacht Club in York, Sail Maine in Portland, Southport Yacht Club, Christmas Cove, the Kollegewidgwok Yacht Club in Blue Hill, Northeast Harbor, and Camden junior sailing programs joined the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club (BHYC) on Monday, July 7 in preparation for races on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Competitors ranging in age from seven to 18 registered and readied their boats and crew on Monday. Delaney Brown, the Dingy Sailing Coach at Maine Maritime Academy who has a long and noteworthy resume of sailing championships and experiences, conducted a 420 clinic for some of the older sailors, while the Department of Marine Resources assisted in ferrying other race participants out to Burnt Island for a little lighthouse education, island exploring, and a great view of the waters they would be plying over the next couple of days. A barbecue for family and sailors wrapped up the pre-race day, and competitors acquainted themselves with fellow racers and rallied enthusiastically for their respective teams.

Race day arrived early Tuesday morning. But for a short fog delay and afternoon thunderstorms which sent the fleet back into the harbor to wait out the tempest, the races went off without a hitch. Wednesday races were challenged by slow moving air. It was one of those dead-wind days that many of us Maine coast sailors know too well while we wait for a wind shift and a good stiff breeze to get things moving. Nevertheless, races wrapped up Wednesday afternoon with a swath of winners and recognitions as follows.

From the 420 races, First Place went to Benjamin Baldwin and Zoe Pulitzer of Kollegewidgwok sailing program in Blue Hill. Second Place went to Rachel Phippen and Logan Snyder from Southport Yacht Club, and Third Place went to Campbell Ardrey and Oona McPherson from Kollegewidgwok in Blue Hill.

Surina Kelchner, from Southport Yacht Club (Blue fleet), won First Place for the Optis overall. Second Place went to Maxwell Pulitzer from Kollegewidgwok S.E.A.(Blue fleet), and Third Place went to James Allison, from the Southport Yacht Club (White fleet). Layla Smith from BHYC was awarded a Third Place Blue Fleet pennant but this writer is not schooled enough in the complicated world of Opti scoring to truly understand that, so I will leave that up to race administrator types at BHYC to explain. Please feel free to call them and find out about the Blue, Green and White fleet scoring and more!

Other noteworthy awards were given for special recognition in the form of Green Pennants. Those included a Sportsmanship Award which went to Genevieve Bunge from the Southport Yacht Club Opti team; a Sunshine Sailor Award which went to Evelyn Lessner from the BHYC Opti team; a Never Giving Up Award which went to Quentin Bell from the AYC Opti team; and a Green Fleet Recognition for the Christmas Cove Green Fleet. 

Last but certainly not least, the coveted Broken Oar Award, a favorite remnant from the pre-covid days of the regatta before it grew into such a successful multi-team event, was won this year by the Southport Yacht Club.

Congratulations to all participants, parents (because we know how much you do), and especially to the wonderful staff of the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club who make this event possible with their hard work, enthusiasm and commitment to the safety of all the young sailors who attend. You have created a memorable event that no doubt shapes lives and a love for wind up and down the coast.

Please note: Next week’s column will feature information about the upcoming Shipyard Cup as well as some information about the Second-Grader Program in which rising second graders who live locally have the opportunity to participate in sailing and tennis programs at BHYC for free.