The Around Southport Race was held Sunday, July 3 under sunny skies and 12-16 knots of breeze. Seventeen boats entered by Saturday evening's deadline, but in the spirit of fun and long established class practice, several classic wood Boothbay Harbor One Designs (BHOD) showed up and were granted entry making for 20 boats racing. 

The start was between Tumbler and Mouse Island with a square line to windward. Michael Gaffney's Pisces 21 Sunfish lead all boats as she started first at 11:05. The BHODs started next a few minutes later. Four J-80's had their own start at 11:34:08, which shrank to three boats when Bill Hunt's Firebolt lost a rigging fitting and was forced to withdraw. Catherine Latta's Blue Skies won the J-80 start with her bow out and close enough to Jeff Curtis' Silkie to weather and Chuck Koch's Breakaway just to leeward. Within a minute it was clear the tight start would lead to good class racing later on the leg. Jeff Curtis' Silkie took the lead midway up the leg crossing tacks several times with Blue Skies and Silkie changing leads several times.

The first mark of the course was nearly four miles to weather at the Cuckolds Bell buoy to be rounded to starboard. The Pisces 21 Sunfish,and the BHOD's made it around the mark first. Soon thereafter, the J-80 Blue Skies rounded then Ken Colburn's Ghost, Silkie, Butch Minson's Cat's Paw and Shannon Killian's J100 Kachina. The reach westward to the Cat ledges "Gong" buoy was not the usual parade as Ghost and Cat's Paw passed Silkie and Blue Skies. The two trimarans and a Viper showed their reaching legs and passed several boats as well. 

The run up the Sheepscot to the finish saw adverse current and strong winds with marginal surfing conditions early on. Soon the boats sailed into a convergence zone of southerly and northwesterly wind with some dousing and others tacking their kites. Bob Scribner's big monohull Panache showed her skirts charging through the fleet in the convergence area by generating apparent wind with her momentum and crew work passing a half dozen boats. Ghost carried her spinnaker along the eastern shore to the amazement of non-casual observers. 

Racers had three approaches to the finish with underwater ledges and islands creating tense moments. Tansy was first to finish, followed closely by Ghost, and Geoff Chatterton's F27 Joyride. Panache was the first non-spinnaker boat to finish. Blue Skies, Silkie and Cat's Paw finished within 9 seconds of each other to take 5,6,7 in the Spinnaker Class. One protest was heard and disallowed by the protest committee. 

The Around Southport Race was started in 1968, and renewed a few years ago. Teams from Southport and Boothbay Harbor Yacht Clubs have a friendly rivalry with a treasured trophy going to the club with the low point total of their top three scoring boats. This year Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club regains the trophy where it will be displayed in the Casino Room once again.

Next Sunday, July 10, is the Foundation Cup which is a Junior Program Foundation fundraiser. Boats enjoy extra handicap allowance for having crew and skippers under the age of 18. More information can be found at Regattaman.com or BHYC.net, or contact the Senior Sailing Instructor Charles Barclay at (207) 633-5750 ext (108).