September 2014 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 21. Last Four Lobster Boat Races of Season Done! Continued from Page 19.
would again captured the top spot winning by three boat lengths. In Class I three long time competitors came to the line: Chris Smith’s MISTY, Chip Johnson’s THREE STARS [Mitchell Cove 35; 650-hp Mack] and Scott Woods’ WILD ONE [Crowley/ Beal 33; 892-GM]. When the fl ag dropped the battle was between MISTY and WILD ONE and when they crossed the line there was just a few feet between the bows. The call by race offi cials said WILD ONE was the winner. Scott Keenan’s DEAR ABBIE [Northern Bay 38, 610 hp Cummins] came down from Blue Hill to compete in Class J and won. There was only one entrant in Class K, Gary Genthner’s LISA MARIE [Libby 34; 690-hp FTP]. There were no entrants in Class L and next up was Class M with three competitors. Mike Davis’ PRETENDER [Wesmac 42; 700-hp] slid into the lead and was the fi rst over the line. In the last diesel class race of the day, Class N WHISTLIN’ DIXIE came over fi rst. In the Wooden Boat Race it was Alan
Dugas’ DELUSIONAL. The next two races were to local boat
yards, the fi rst to Johnson’s Boat Yard on Long Island and the other for Royal River Boat Yard in Yarmouth. In the Gasoline Free-for-All three boats were on the line and the winner was THUN- DERBOLT.
Six boats were on the line for the Diesel
Free-for-All. We could bet that the winner was going to be WHISTLIN’ DIXIE, but who would be second? That was won by LISA MARIE.
Now up was the last race of the day, Fastest Lobster Boat. THUNDERBOLT jumped out into the lead crossed the fi nish line fi rst.
After the race, a number of the partic- ipants headed to Andy’s in Portland for a night of fun. The following morning sign- ups seemed slow, but picked up as the start of the race neared. When sign-ups concluded we had 55 boats signed up, but before the races started another six signed up at the committee boat.
There were only a couple of boats signed up that had not raced before. Michael Russo of Portland entered GULF VEN- TURE, a 39-foot Novi, 300-hp John Deere, in Diesel Class D and the Novi Race. John Shusta entered SPECIAL J., a Crowley 36, 450-hp Cummins, in Diesel Class H. The fi rst three race of the day was for
Work Boats. In Class A there was just one entrant, T. J. Flynn [14’ Alumacraft, 25-hp Johnson]. There were three boats signed up in Class B and it was no surprise as J-BIRD came fl ying up the course for the win. There were eight boats on the line for Class C and for the fi rst time we were going to see Steve Johnson’s WILD WOMAN on the race
course. Steve certainly understands boat design as she sailed perfectly up the course, the fastest O’Day sailboat ever built, at 44 mph.
In the fi rst Gasoline Race of the day,
Class A, there was just one entrant, CRY BABY. In Class B: Jeff Croft’s TILLY [Brownell; 350 260-hp Mercruiser] was the winner. There was only one entrant in Class C, BLACK DIAMOND. In Class D’s two entrants: THUNDERBOLT and Harry Fish’s BOONDOCKS [Duffy 30; Chevrolet] went to the line. Just after the fl ag dropped the gear in THUNDERBOLT let go and she was dead in the water and BOONDOCKS got the wind. In Diesel Class A, no one had enough
for LYNN MARIE as she sped up the course for the win. DOTTIE MAE continued her weekend domination of Class B. In a re- match from the day before at Long Island, EASY MONEY got her second win for the weekend in Class C. There were only two entrants in Class D and PULL N PRAY did not have any trouble in besting GULF VEN- TURE. Another rematch from Long Island was in Class E between MISS KARLEE and ISLA DAWN with the same result. In Class F it was all MS. ROSE and in Class G it was HAPPY HOUR. Another rematch from Long Island occurred in Class H and again FIRST TEAM crossed the fi nish line fi rst. The closest race at Long Island occurred in Class I between MISTY and WILD ONE. However there was another racer on the line at Portland, Chris Peterson’s MOJO INC. When they came off the line it seemed close, but MOJO INC. worked her way into the lead and the took the win. There was only one entrant in both Class J, DEAR ABBIE and Class K, LISA MARIE and they both were given the win. There were no entrants in Class L, but there were four on the line for Class M. First over the line was Hugh Bowen’s LONG HAUL [Wesmac 42; 650- hp John Deere]. In the fi nal race, Class N, the win went WHISTLIN’ DIXIE. The Wooden Boat Race was won by SAND DOLLAR III.
There were just three boats in the Novi
Boat Race and Willie Lacey’s KALEY ANN was just able to get by GULF VENTURE, with third going to Lee Schatvet’s YESTER- DAY’S STORM. With THUNDERBOLT out CRY
BABY had no trouble winning the Gasoline Free-for-All.
In the Diesel Free-for-All it was a rematch of the Diesel Free-for-All race at the Merritt Brackett Lobster Boat Races in Pemaquid between MOJO INC. and WHIS- TLIN’ DIXIE. Eleven boats were on the line and when the fl ag dropped the top boats were all close. Right at the line MOJO INC. slipped over the line fi rst, with WHISTLIN’ DIXIE second and LISA MARIE third. There was no threat from a gasoline boat
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What is more exciting than a close tugboat race?
in the Fastest Lobster Boat Race, and the top four boats from the Diesel Free-for-All came to the line for this race. As they came fl ying up the course, WHISTLIN’ DIXIE was obviously in the lead and MOJO INC. was back a boat length and could not gain before they crossed the line.
What a year of racing and it all boiled down to the new boats. They came in, stirred the pot and created some excitement that had been waning over the last couple of years. The one that really caught everyone off guard was Roger Kennedy’s WTF. We all new she was coming, but she certainly sparked excitement when she won every race she compet- ed in, and not just her class, but Diesel Free-for-All and Fastest Lobster Boat races. Then WILD WILD WEST showed up with new power and at the end she was nearing the speed of WTF. Another in the mix was THUNDER- BOLT. In 2013 she competed at Boothbay and Searsport and did well, but this year she had been a real contender for the top spot especially with the woes of FOOLISH PLEASURE. All these boats were about the same in speed and created the best racing seen in years. However, there is no question that FOOLISH PLEASURE is the fastest boat, but unfortunately she only showed up for two races as engine issues caused them consistent problems. They promise to be back next year without issues.
There is certainly renewed interest and now we can only wonder what next year will bring. Now we gear up for the Awards Banquet at the Hollywood Casino at Bangor on 25 October, hosted by the Winter Harbor Races. First up will be the annual meeting of MLBRA, where rules, classes, offi cers and other issues will be discussed. The executive committee did not feel that there would be many changes. There has been discussion on dividing Diesel Class M and forming an oversight committee that would be charged with enforcing the rules. Certainly a meeting and dinner not to be missed!
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