An activity for both land and boat spectators is coming to Boothbay Harbor on July 19 and 20 with a parade of racing vessels at 10 a.m. on the morning of July 20. As part of the Regatta Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club and Shipyard Cup Classics Challenge that is supported by sponsors from the local maritime industry and other local businesses, this year’s regatta has generated strong community interest.

BHYC has been conducting an annual regatta for 50 years and this year’s event is the 51st running. The Shipyard Cup Regatta, which previously featured superyachts and was sponsored by Hodgdon Yachts, was a mainstay for both the sailing and local community in Boothbay Harbor for over a decade. BHYC is carrying on that spirit of tradition and will feature classic yachts along with newer designs.

Teaming up with our sponsors from the local maritime industry under the name Shipyard Cup to include vintage boats brings together the club’s great racing tradition with the legendary history of shipbuilding in this area. Hodgdon Yachts, along with Bristol Marine’s Sample’s Shipyard, are lead sponsors along with 38 other sponsors. (see www.boothbayregatta.com)

Expanding the BHYC Regatta to include classic racing yachts requires understanding of what a classic yacht is. A classic yacht is a wooden boat built at least 50 years ago, and for sailing history buffs, the name Nathanael G. Herreshoff is synonymous with classic yachts, yachting and the America’s Cup.

The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company (1878–1945) was most notable for producing sailing yachts, including eight America's Cup defenders, as well as steam-powered vessels. His greatest feat was designing yachts that successfully defended the America’s Cup six times.

Among Nat Herreshoff’s many accomplishments are the design of 3 One Design classes for New York Yacht Club members, the NY 30, NY40 and NY50 — the number denoting the length of each vessel’s water line. One of the four surviving NY40s is Marilee, designed and built by Herreshoff in 1926. Marilee competes in yachting events throughout the northeast.

The upcoming Regatta is part of the Classic Yachts Challenge Series. This series, which also includes the Camden Classics Cup, Castine to Camden, and Camden to Brooklin feeder races, as well as the ever-popular Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, attracts a large following of classic yachts. Indeed, these races are must-do events for classic yacht lovers.

Classics yachts, mostly wooden boats, are lovingly maintained by their owners and through the years many owners have restored their boats to their original condition. Some owners have also modernized the rigs, and sail plans replacing turn-of-the-century gaff rigs with Marconi sloop rigs. 

While seasoned sailors agree that a Marconi rig makes a boat easier to helm with and simplifies sail handling, the gaff rig, with its massive sail, gaff and boom, and the ability to add topsails, certainly makes for an impressive and picturesque sight. Watching one of the many beautiful Friendship sloops that sail in and around Boothbay with their many sails flying is a vivid reminder of a time when sailing was a main method of conveyance.

The 1938 vintage Boothbay Harbor One Design, a classic 21’ day sailor originally designed for sailors in the Boothbay region, will be a featured boat in this year’s BHYC Regatta as it has been for decades.

One of the spectacular entries is Gleam, one of the renowned 12-meter racers. Unique is one way to describe Gleam, a 1937 vintage 12-meter sloop and America's Cup contender trial horse, Gleam will be sailing alongside several other larger “vintage classic” yachts.

Designed by Clinton Crane and built at the Henry B. Nevins boatyard in 1937. She is 68 feet overall with a waterline length of 44 feet and a beam of 12, she represents a style of very much-admired past America's Cup yachts. Constructed of double mahogany and cedar planking on oak frames, her brilliant white appearance is evocative of her name, Gleam.

Originally, she was named AKABA, but during construction was changed to Gleam because Mrs. Crane had read the Alfred Lord Tennyson piece “Merlin and the Gleam” and thought it would be appropriate to name her Gleam after reading “All but in Heaven hovers the Gleam. Follow, follow, follow the Gleam.”

Gleam has been featured on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," The Discovery Channel and PBS. She has also graced the pages of countless magazines such as Town and Country, Wooden Boat, Sailing World, Classic Boat and Yachting World, just to name a few. Her interior was selected to appear in the book of Classic Yacht Interiors. “Bristol Marine has been a proud sponsor of classic yachting in Rhode Island,” says Bristol Marine president Andy Tyska and Gleam owner. “We are excited to sponsor and race in this event in Boothbay Harbor.”

In addition to classic yachts, modern vessels of all sizes and descriptions race under the Performance Handicap Racing Formula which provides a method for sailboats of varying size and dimensions to race competitively against each other.

Several classes of PHRF sailboats, sailing in spinnaker and non-spinnaker cruising classes, will compete for the prestigious PHRF State Championship. Visiting yachts from all along the Maine coast will compete with local yachts and provide spectacular viewing from the water.

Races will take place in the outer harbor with two starting lines, one for the fastest vessels and another for the smaller boats. Racers will sail both drop buoy races as well as navigator courses. The two starting areas for the races, which will be in the vicinity of Spruce Point and Squirrel Island, will provide interesting drama as boats jockey to be first over the starting line in their quest for victory.

Racing begins Saturday, July 19 at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday, July 20 at noon. Spectators can enjoy the action from their boats in the general vicinity of the outer harbor between Southport and East Boothbay. A “Parade of Sail” featuring yachts competing in the Regatta will kick off in the inner harbor Sunday at 10 a.m. on July 20. Sailboats of all sizes and designs will be proudly on display as they move through the inner harbor.

The parade announcer will be stationed in Whale Park and will provide informative commentary on the yachts, their names and heritage. You can also hear the announcement on Channel 72 on your VHF radio.

Importantly, complete descriptions of each vessel will be available on our website (www.BoothbayRegatta.com) that will present details on each yacht in the order of the parade participants. Watch the Parade of Sail and experience the beauty of sail.

Additional information on the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club and the event can be found on the club’s website https://www.bhyc.net/