The mighty midgets of sail took to the water Thursday and Friday, the first two days of August, competing for the title of Maine State Opti Champion. A record 97 boats addressed the starting line and in the end, the state championship remains with the host Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club, thanks to outstanding performances by Payton Thompson, who finished first amongst Maine sailors, and last year’s champ Jacqueline van der Veen, who finished a close second.

Competitors from up and down the East Coast and neighboring Canada were amongst the entrants and Jojo Bolduc of Coral Reef Yacht Club in Florida and Carson Pearce of the Surf City Yacht Club in New Jersey crossed the line ahead of the two top Maine boats.

Andrew Turley, Bryce Jacobs, and William LaBrecque of Southport as well as Emma van der Veen and Matthew McKuskey of BHYC were also high finishers.

In the Green fleet for novice racers, the winner was Ben Rooks of Portland Yacht Club and Auggie Barnard of BHYC finished third.

The Maine State title carries with it the responsibility that the winning yacht club hosts the event the following summer. By virtue of Payton’s win, Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club will once again host the event in the summer of 2014. BHYC has won the race for the past three consecutive years starting with Ian MacDairmid’s win in 2011.

Bob and Nancy McCann of the BHYC Junior Program were chairs and directors of the event.