The inaugural 2016 Boothbay Harbor Offshore One Design B.H.O.O.D Regatta ran Aug. 14 with two classes of boats. The brainchild of long time BHYC sailors Bill Hunt and Sandy Taft, the regatta was inspired by successful one design racing forums nationally and the growing J-80 fleet in the Boothbay region.

A race committee meeting and racer clinics were held Sunday morning while the fog lifted and the winds built. PRO Charles Barclay worked with the new and experienced race committee members going over specific techniques and the racers perspective, while Bill Hunt covered race course configurations, tactics on gates, and visual and audio signals with the racers.  

Races were held under sunny skies and warm summer winds blowing from 4-12 knots races. After the winds settled in at 220 from the SW, the J80 class was started twice around the can buoy off Burnt Island and through a gate in front of the start/finish line near Spruce Point. Ken Colburn (Southport/Boothbay Harbor) sailed the borrowed J80 Silkie to an early lead but was unsure of the weather mark location and was passed by Bill Hunt's Firebolt which covered for the remainder of the race for the win.

The second start saw four Boothbay Harbor One Designs launch off the line in a building 6 knots. Wildfire, Polar Express and Bittersweet rounded the weather mark together battling the entire way to a picture tells the tale close finish with Anna Grace sailed by the Clarkson family close behind. 

The wind had shifted 20 degrees southward and the race committee retrieved its dropped marks and chose the Squirrel Island R4 buoy for this race.  

The BHODs got a second start with all boats as close at the start as they were at the previous races finish. They sailed tightly to the weather mark but spread out on a couple of shifts downwind. Polar Express finished first, then Wildfire, Bittersweet, and young Mr. Clarkson driving Anna Grace coming in close behind in 4th.  

The J80s started their second race with all boats hitting the start line at speed. All boats were competitive upwind with Silkie rounding first followed by Firebolt, Chuck Koch's Breakaway and Cathy Latta's Blue Skies not far behind. Blue Skies suffered an hourglass wrap with their kite. Blue Skies dropped it and rehoisted but wasn't far behind as they worked out the kinks. In the interests of getting a third race off to break the tie between Firebolt and Silkie, the race committee shortened the second race at the gate marks and started a third race right away.  

The J80s Silkie and Firebolt knew the series balance rested on the outcome of the third race.  Hunt and Colburn danced their boats around more sprightly than the twelve meters at their peak. Circling Silkie, Hunt took his long time friend west and away from the line. Colburn broke their circling dance just at the right time so that all four J80s hit the line with only a second or two to spare with Firebolt at the Committee Boat and Silkie further towards the pin, both with clean air and speed. Silkie showed her stuff taking a lead half way up the mark and never relinquishing it finishing under spinnaker at the Tumbler Island entrance to the Boothbay Harbor.

The final results in the BHOD class had Wildfire and Polar Express tied for 1st, with Bittersweet taking 3rd, and Anna Grace in 4th.

J80s overall after 3 races: Silkie with 4 points, Firebolt with 5 points, Breakaway with 9 points, and Blue Skies with 12 points.  

The event was a precursor for a larger one design event planned for 2017 that will invite GMORA racers with one-designs and level handicap racing. The event is seen as an opportunity to promote the benefits of one-design and level fleet racing which will bring good numbers of boats and sailors to enjoy the waters of Boothbay.