The Boothbay Region Sailing Club (BRSC) hosted the third Pen-Bay Regatta series finale Sunday, Oct. 15 in breezy and foggy conditions. Racing ended after nine races when fog obscured the weather mark. The final event was another closely contested match with the Islesboro sailors edging out Boothbay by just three points. Islesboro was never assured victory until the last race of each regatta. Throughout the series the Boothbay boats typically took 1st and 4th places while the Isleboro boats took 2nd and 3rd.

On a day expected to clear, turn breezy and cooler, the fog remained and challenged while the breeze built from 8 to 18 knots. At times the entire fleet was shrouded in fog and invisible to race committee in the half mile long course. Each race lasted between nineteen and twenty-two minutes.

Unlike the last time the two teams met in Rockland neither team fouled the other nor started prematurely. Clean sailing was the order of the day, with no protests filed and penalty turns quickly performed. Boothbay sailors knew going into the event they would need another team to finish between them and Isleboro to have a chance at the K.C. Heyniger Trophy for the series winner. Hopes were on the MDI and Rockland teams which had shown promise throughout the Fall. One MDI sailor, Gabby Boord, knew the waters well as a Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club Instructor and former team captain.

Boothbay’s A Boat with Lincoln Academy’s Ella Beauregard and Boothbay Middle School’s Hamilton Barclay won the first two races. They were then sandwiched between the Isleboro boats at the start and finished third. They also won races four, six, eight, and nine. In race seven, the Camden Hills A boat spoiled their string of top finishes by repeatedly tacking to drive the Boothbay boat off the course as if it was a match race. The Boothbay boat was driven so far left of the port tack lay line that five boats passed the pair on the upper quarter of the windward leg. The Boothbay B boat sailed by Nate Graves and Nate Rideout came to their teammates aid using a mark trap-like maneuver to cause the Camden boat to miss the leeward mark. The A boat then recovered three spots finishing sixth with the B Boat just ahead. The Camden boat went from third to ninth for their upwind conduct in race seven.

After the first race, Rideout and Graves managed solid finishes ranging from third to sixth finishing with 51 points on the nine races, good for second place in the Division. The A Boat finished with 18 point to win A Division.

Isleboro and Boothbay placed C Boats on the water with Liam Cullina from Lincoln Academy and Henry Currier switching after five races as skipper with homeschooled Toby Clarkson crewing. One benefit of the Pen-Bay Series is younger sailors are encouraged to sail these events.

The Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club and the BHYC Junior Program Foundation support the sailing team. For this event all the parents involved contributed by putting on a breakfast and cookout at the end of racing. The Boothbay team next races at the Ranger Regatta in Portland and then to Newport for the Halloween Howl.