This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Page 22. MAINE COASTAL NEWS July 2014 Boothbay and Rockland Lobster Boat Races - EXCITING!


Kimball’s MISS ATTITUDE [Holland 32; 265-hp John Deere] and Doug Carter’s REBECCA [28’ Crowley, 285-hp Isuzu]. Unfortunately REBECCA did not come to the line and it was an easy win for MISS ATTITUDE.


Continued from Page 1. 4 GIRLS and LOOK OUT in a tight race in the Diesel Free-for-All.


M. ILLUSION, owned by Nick Hawke of Southport, is a Young Brothers 45 powered with a 750-hp Scania and will also race in Diesel Class M. John Albaum of Booth- bay purchased a Crowley 36 powered with a 450-hp Scania, which he named WOUND UP. She would be racing in Diesel Class H. An old boat, but new to racing was the 32-foot MISS MARGARET, owned by Tony Hooper of Tenant’s Harbor. She was built by Lee Cushman in the mid-1970s and is powered with a 185-hp Isuzu. She was racing in Diesel Class A. Last year the Association’s radar gun developed issues. Ron Barrett of Cape Ann, MA, who attends a number of the races and clocks the speeds, took the gun and sent it off to the company to have it fi xed. As al- ways Ron arrived at Boothbay with his and the Association’s radar gun and they both worked perfectly. The Association thanked him as he donated the cost of the repairs. At the Annual Meeting in October it was agreed that just three Work Boat Classes would be run at every points race venue. So the Work Boat Classes, boats under 24 feet in length, would be: Class A, Skiffs 16 feet and under with outboards up to 30 hp. Operator 18 years old or younger; Class B, 30-90 hp inboards, outboards, or outdrives; and Class C, 91 hp and over, inboards, outboards and outdrives. In the fi rst race of the season, Class A one boat was registered, but two were com- ing up the course. John Albaum’s LITTLE ONE [Holland 14, 25 hp] was in the wrong race because the operator was over 18 years old. So he was sent back down and competed in Class B. Taking fi rst place was Jake Hodg- don’s RED REVENGE [16’ Skiff; 20-hp] with a speed of 20.7 mph.


LITTLE ONE was going to have some real competition in Class B as he was pitted against Marshall Spear’s J-BOAT [16’; 90- hp] and Al Strout’s CLUSTA [Lowe 18; 40- hp Tohatsu]. The race looked pretty even as they came up the course, but as they neared the fi nish line it was J-BOAT in the lead by two boat lengths, followed by CLUSTA and LITTLE ONE. As CLUSTA neared the fi nish line there looked as though there was not a second person in the boat. However as he came in to the prize fl oat there was little Reagan Anderson laying down in the middle of the boat.


In Class C just three boats came to the


line. The fi rst over the fi nish line was DOG HOUSE [23’ C-Hawk, 225-hp Evinrude], owned by Ed Gotovich with a speed of 36.6 mph. She was followed over by MALAGO [Crowley Beal 23; 150-hp Yamaha] Jim Koehling with third going to Linc Simmons’ RIP TIDE.


There were only four boats signed up


Diesel Class E, 336 to 435 hp, 24 to 33 feet, had just one entrant, Ed Shirley’s MISS KARLEE [Mitchell Cove 32, 440-hp Sisu] so she was asked to race against the three boats in Class F, Parker Poole’s DETER- MINATION [Five Islands 35; 420-hp Cater- pillar], Ed Torosian’s MS. ROSE [Mitchell Cove 35; 350-hp Cummins], and Kevin Glover’s QUICKSTEP [Young Brothers 35; 405-hp Cummins]. in Diesel Class F, 336 to 435 hp, 34 feet and over. MS ROSE led the way down the course with MISS KARLEE second, but fi rst in her class. Second in Class F went to QUICKSTEP.


Again there was only one boat, Zack


for the fi ve Gasoline Classes with no entrants in Class B, V-8 up to 375 cid, 24 feet and up, and Class E, V-8, Over 525 cid, 28 feet and over, superchargers/Turbos. In Class A was D. & L. Boatworks’ CRY BABY [25’ D&L BW, 292 Chevrolet]; in Class C, V8, 376 to 525 cid, 28 feet and over, Randy Durkee’s BLACK DIAMOND [Holland 32, 454 Chevrolet] and in Class D, V-8, 376 to 540 cid, 28 feet and over, Shawn Alley’s LITTLE GIRLS and Bruce Engert’s THUNDER- BOLT [South Shore 30; 496 Chevrolet]. With just four boats signed up they were all run together, but THUNDERBOLT was still tied to the dock and was not going to make the race. As the three others came up the course it was an easy win for LIT- TLE GIRLS, followed by CRY BABY and BLACK DIAMOND. Galen Alley’s FOOLISH PLEASURE was absent as he was still waiting on a new engine. The rumour is that it is going to be a big Ford with more power than his last engine.


Next up was the Fastest Working Lobster Boat – Boothbay. Andrew Taylor’s BLUE EYED GIRL [Calvin Beal 36, 650- hp Scania] crossed the fi nish line with just a couple of boat length’s to spare on Rusty Brewer’s LOOK OUT [Young Brothers 38; 700-hp, Detroit]. Third went to Matt Thi- bault’s SANDRA ANN [Young Brothers 33; 210-hp Cummins]. In the Wooden Boat Race LITTLE GIRLS was back on the line to face three John’s Bay Boats (Alan Dugas’ DELU- SIONAL [38’ John’s Bay Boat, 600-hp Cummins], Scott Dugas’ SAND DOLLARS III [41’Johns Bay Boat; 700-hp Caterpil- lar] and Vance Bunker’s SARI ANN [42’ Johns Bay Boat; 660-hp Volvo]) and Tony Hooper’s MISS MARGARET. There was no question who the winner of this contest was going to be as LITTLE GIRLS easily won. However it was a tight battle between the three John’s Bay Boats with DELU- SIONAL grabbing second by a boat length over SAND DOLLARS III and third went to SARI ANN.


In the Diesel Classes there were only two races with no entrants: Class D, 236 to 335 hp, 34 feet over, and Class L, 901 hp, 28 feet and over.


There were two entrants in Class A, up to 235 hp, 24 to 31 feet, Steve Johnson’s LYNN MARIE [Jingle Johnson 28; 230-hp Isuzu] and MISS MARGARET. With just one boat in Class B, up to 235 hp, 32 feet and over, SANDRA ANN, the two classes were combined. First over the line was LYNN MARIE and second went to SANDRA ANN, which gave her fi rst in Class B. MISS MARGARET was third but got second in Class A.


There were two boats signed up in Class C, 236 to 335 hp, 24 to 33 feet, Adam


Donnell’s HAPPY HOUR [Mitchell Cove 35; 500-hp John Deere] in Diesel Class G, 436 to 550 hp, 28 to 35 feet, so she raced with the three boats, Travis Otis’ FIRST TEAM [Northern Bay 36; 410-hp Sisu 645], Robert Rutter’s HOT SPOT II [Libby 38; 450-hp John Deere] and John Albaum’s WOUND UP in Class H, 436 to 550 hp, 36 feet and over. The fi rst over the line was FIRST TEAM. However there was a real tight race for second, which was HOT SPOT II and third went to WOUND UP. Right with them was HAPPY HOUR, who took fi rst in Class G.


Class I has been a battle for the last sev- eral years between Chip Johnson’s THREE STARS [Mitchell Cove 35; 650-hp Mack], Gary Genthner’s LISA MARIE [Libby 34; 690-hp Iveco], Chris Smith’s MISTY [Crowley Beal 33; 650 hp Scania], and Scott Wood’s WILD ONE [Crowley/Beal 33; 892-GM]. THREE STARS did not show up for the race and LISA MARIE moved up to Diesel Class K, 701 to 900 hp, 28 feet and over, last year. Roger Kennedy’s new boat WHISKEY-TANGO-FOXTROT was signed up in this class and because there was just one boat in Class K, they opted to have LISA MARIE run down in this race. When the fl ag dropped they all came off the line and things looked tight until they got half way up the course and WHISKEY-TAN- GO-FOXTROT had taken a sizeable lead. Now the battle was for second and by less than half a boat length it was MISTY over WILD ONE.


Eight boats were signed up for Diesel Class J, 551 to 700 hp, 36 feet and over, however Doug Carter also joined the fray in REBECCA. Half way down the course it was all Andrew Taylor’s BLUE EYED GIRL. She was followed over by LOOK OUT and David Myrick’s JANICE ELAINE [Northern Bay 38; 610-hp Cummins] third and Scott Keenan’s DEAR ABBIE [North- ern Bay 38, 610 hp Cummins] fourth. Six boats came to the line for Diesel Class M, 40 feet and over, up to 750 hp. Dixon Smith’s SIZE MATTERS [Libby 41; 750-hp Iveco] had been top in Class two years ago, but last year Patrick Faulking- ham’s GRAMP’S BIRD [Osmond 40; 700- hp Iveco] had dominated the class. There was also two new boats, GAVIN & GRA- CIE and ILLUSION, what did they have? GRAMP’S BIRD jumped into the lead and crossed the fi nish line a boat length ahead of SIZE MATTERS. Third went to ILLUSION and fourth was GAVIN & GRACIE. In the top Diesel Class, Class N, 40 feet and over; 750 hp and over, had three boats come to the line. There was no surprise when Andy Johnson’s WHISTLIN’ DIXIE [Holland 40; 1,000-hp Caterpillar] crossed fi rst followed closely by Tom Clemons’ 4 GIRLS [Wesmac 46, 1,000-hp Caterpillar].


Third was Keith Jordan’s BAILEY & BEL- LA [Calvin Beal 44, 1,000 hp Caterpillar]. Now came the Gasoline Free for All and there was no surprise when LITTLE GIRLS crossed the line fi rst with CRY BABY sec- ond and BLACK DIAMOND third. Eight boats were on the line for the Diesel Free for All. Again no surprise as WHISKEY-TANGO-FOXTROT won by two boat lengths with WHISTLIN’ DIXIE second and LISA MARIE third. The Fastest Lobster Boat race was the event of the day as LITTLE GIRLS and WHISKEY-TANGO-FOXTROT were pit- ted together for the fi rst time. As they were getting ready THUNDERBOLT showed up and was only allowed to run the course for fun. As they came up the course you could hear the Ford engine in LITTLE GIRLS screaming. As she neared the fi nish line she had a two boat length lead over WHIS- KEY-TANGO-FOXTROT, who grabbed second. Third went to WHISTLIN’ DIXIE with THUNDERBOLT right on his transom. LITTLE GIRLS best speed last year was 45 mph and this day she was clocked at just shy of 50 mph.


It had been some of the closest races and people were talking ashore all afternoon about them. By 2 o’clock the races were done and almost all the boats were heading for Rockland and the next day of racing. * * * * *


Arriving in Rockland the weather was near perfect, beautiful sunshine, but a good breeze coming out of the nor’west. At the end of sign-ups there were 54 boats entered, which was one less than last year. The new boats in Rockland included: in


Diesel Class A was McCabe Burch of Owl’s Head WARRIOR. She is a 30-foot Lash Brothers built in 1979 powered with a 160- hp Detroit. OLD SCHOOL, owned by Chris Pope of Swan’s Island and South Freeport. She is a Crowley 28 powered with 270-hp Cummins fi nished off in 1988. His racing class would be Diesel Class C. There were three new entrants for Diesel Class F. Erick Harjula of South Thomaston, REDEEMED. She is a MDI 37 powered with a 430 hp Cum- mins. Biscuit Ames of Vinalhaven, owner of DILLON JAMES, is a 38 Holland powered with a 425-hp John Deere. Thomas McLen- nan’s TRUE NORTH, which is a 36 BHM powered with a 375-hp John Deere. Alan Knowlton of South Thomaston signed up his SEA URCHIN. She is a Young Brothers 45 powered with a 375-hp John Deere and would be in Diesel Class M. First up was the Work Boat Classes, boats under 24 feet. There were no entrants in Class A, so Class B was called to the line, which had four boats entered. The fi rst boat up the course was J-BIRD, followed by CLUSTA and Dylan Knowlton’s SEA RANGER [Seaway 19; 70 hp Tohatsu]. In Class C there were just two boats on the line, Ed Gotovich’s DOG HOUSE and Joseph Martin’s MISS ABBY. This race was won by DOG HOUSE.


Next up was the Gasoline Classes,


which had fi ve entrants. There was only one in Class A, CRY BABY; one in Class B, Walter Rich’s WIDE OPEN [26’ Robert Rich; 350 Chevrolet], and one in Class C, BLACK DIAMOND. These were run up together and all given fi rst in their class. One of the big races of the day was going to be Class D, which saw LITTLE GIRLS and THUNDERBOLT go head to head. As they came off the line both engines were screaming and there was no let up as they seemed to be pretty close in speed. As they neared the fi nish line it was LITTLE GIRLS by two boat lengths, but 75 yards from the fi nish she went dead in the water. She coasted towards the fi nish line, but


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32