Spruce Point Inn and the Maine Model Yacht Club are proud to announce the SPI Cup, a regatta race on the Spruce Point Inn waterfront for skippers of radio-controlled model yachts. Beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday, June 23, this inaugural event kicks off the first day of Boothbay Harbor’s 62nd Windjammer Days festivities.

The schedule of activities runs all day long, with two heats of racing, a trophy presentation, and a Learn to R/C Sail demonstration in Spruce Point Inn’s newly refurbished oceanside pool for those who want to try their hand at skippering. The event is free and open to the public, with parking available on-site at Spruce Point Inn.

The Maine Model Yacht Club, the race’s organizers, will officiate the competition. MMYC was created to promote the design, building, sailing, and racing of model yachts. Many of MMYC’s members are themselves former or current racers of full-scale sailboats too. “R/C racing lets people learn how to appreciate sailing in a low risk, affordable, friendly, and competitive atmosphere” says MMYC Commodore Jeff Van Peski, “and, it’s a year-round activity” he adds. And indeed their schedule is full, with a race nearly every Sunday, from Camden Harbor to Tennyson Pond (and beyond).

Model yacht racing is a tradition that reaches back more than a century. The earliest iteration of the pastime required skippers to trim their sails with a long cane, reaching from either the shore or a nearby rowboat. Today, model yacht racing is powered by remote control, giving skippers the opportunity for greater precision in competition. More than 30 classes of model yachts race across the nation. The SPI Cup will feature DF95 class racers, a popular 950mm One Design sloop model.

Says Spruce Point Inn general manager Drew Strout “we’ve had a lot of fun working with MMYC on this. We’re excited to host the event in sync with Windjammer Days and, with our oceanside pool and dock looking better than ever, we can’t wait to host the first crowds of summer to watch the race.”

For more information, or to register your boat for the race, visit www.sprucepointinn.com/spi-cup.