Fourteen boats entered the third bi-annual running of The Corinthians Stonington to Boothbay Harbor Race, the “Lobster Run.”

The race covered a 332-nautical mile course from Stonington, Conn., around two ocean marks southeast of Nantucket, the position of the former Nantucket Lightship, and northwest to finish in Boothbay Harbor.

Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club Commodore Marianne Reynolds attended the Captains Meeting and kick-off reception on Thursday, July 26, at the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club to greet the racers and to say that BHYC was ready to welcome them at the end of the race. Past Commodore John Chapman and Peggy Chapman attended to describe the finish line and the services that would be available here in Boothbay Harbor. Vice Commodore Neil Newton and Maggie Newton also attended rounding out the contingent from BHYC.

The race, scheduled to start at 1100 Friday, July 27 off the Watch Hill Light just outside of Stonington, began on schedule. Commodore Reynolds, the Newtons and the Chapmans were participants on the committee boat for the start of the race, an elegant 74-foot 1937 beautifully restored Long Island Commuter boat Aphrodite.

The first boat to cross the finish line was a BHYC boat, Apparition, a Swan 42 boat captained by Ken Colburn, winning the Nantucket Lightship Trophy. BHYC had two boats in the race this time, the second being Panache captained by Bob Scribner. Eleven boats finished within the allotted time for the race, three had to drop out along the way. Two boats were captained by women. Etoile had an all women crew.

Past Commodore Andy Holmes oversaw the setting up and manning of the race Communications Center in the Casino. It was the hub of round-the-clock activity monitoring and posting the progress of the race via transponders on each boat as viewed on Yellow Brick Tracking on the Internet, and maintaining VHF radio communications with the Finish Line spotters on Burnt Island. Dave Nordhoff oversaw the Finish Line Race Committee which used Burnt Island as the base for spotting the Finish Line Gate, two eight-foot orange tetrahedrons placed 150 yards off shore from the USCG Boat House, and organized the crew of spotters that served day and night on the island, including securing boats to get them out to and back from the island.

Past Commodore Tony O’Neill and Mimi O’Neill arranged the successful Awards Reception held Tuesday afternoon under a tent on the adjacent McKown lawn for boat skippers and crews and their families and race volunteers. They also oversaw the well-received Lobster Dinner held in the Clubhouse following the reception. Bill Seepe saw to the availability of clubhouse facilities, particularly showers and laundry services. Perry Bradley made sure parking was available and properly controlled. Pauline Dion organized transportation options including a cadre of volunteer drivers to transport race participants and their families into town. Nick Mace and Aaron Scharff took numerous photos of the boats and event activities. Many of these photos were offered to race participants in return for donations to our Junior Program Foundation. A Protest Committee chaired by Past Commodore Howard Levitan was at the ready, but thankfully not needed. Past Commodore Jack St. John and Gerna St. John oversaw in good fashion publicity for the race locally and regionally. Alice and Andy Mutch provided supplemental water transportation services and provided mooring information for the racers. Debbie Swan Snyder made the arrangements for the closing VIP Dinner held Wednesday evening.

In addition to these key folks many others volunteered to carry out the many varied tasks necessary for the success of this third running of the Lobster Run. To all of them sincere appreciation was extended for jobs well done. Accolades were heard from the many participants in the race saying they were well received and welcomed, not only by BHYC members but by the community at large. Race volunteers and families of participants stayed in area inns and used many community services thereby adding financial benefit to area businesses. The next Lobster Run will be in 2014.

First to finish and first overall, Apparition, owned and skippered by Ken Colburn of Green Island Southport.

ORR Racer group: 1. Atlantic (Bacon); 2. Gadzooks (Beringer); 3. Shearwater (Biemsdorfer).

In the Cruising Division: 1. Etoile (Kolker); 2. Black Mallard (McRoberts).

And in the PHRF Offshore Division: 1. Apparition (Colburn); 2. Atlantic (Blake); and 3. Talisman (Pedrone).