THE STATE OF MAINE'S BOATING NEWSPAPER Volume 28 Issue 4 April 2015
PRST STD
US Postage Paid Permit, #65 Brunswick, ME 04011
Maine Coastal News FREE Get Ready for Maine's Lobster Boat Racing Season
HEE HAW, owned by the quiet and reserved Brent Davis, of Jonesport competing at Stonington last summer.
ROCKLAND – Every year at the Maine Fisherman’s Forum we have a meeting for the Maine Lobster Racing Association. It is usually a real quick meeting with no serious discussions. We decided several years ago to do all our rule and class changes at the Annual Meeting and Banquet in the fall so that no one who is building a new boat or altering an existing one is caught off guard by any change. Unfortunately this year there was a problem, not with the rules or classes, but the schedule.
At the annual meeting there were no rule changes made, but there were some discussions on classes. The fi rst discussion arose about Gasoline Class D, (V8, 376 to 540 cid, 24 feet and over (Non-working racers)) and the thought was to remove the upper cubic inch limit. This was agreed to and now Gasoline D will read: (V8, 376cid and over, 24 feet and over (Non-working racer)). The next change came in Diesel Class M. At many of the events Downeast Class M has a large number, sometimes up over 20, entries. It was thought by splitting this class it would make it easier on race organizers and maybe get other competitors to come out. Diesel Class M will now be split into two classes, Diesel Class M-A and M-B. Diesel Class M-A will be (40 feet and over, 0-500 hp.) and Diesel Class M-B (40 feet and over 501 to 750 hp.)
Now at the Forum we did make a change in the Woodenboat Race. The biggest boats
have no way to compete against the smaller overpowered racers. It was decided to split this into two races. One will be (Up to 35 feet 11 inches, any hp.) and the other (36 feet and over, any hp). A problem has been getting races start- ed on time at many of the events. When I said that we would start the races on time everyone laughed. However at the MS Lob- sterboat Races in Portland I proved it can be done. So I will start inputting racers into the computer just after 0900, print the racing sheets at 0945 and that should allow us to get out on the course on time. This does not mean those coming late cannot compete. So long as you have the entry fee and know what your boat is and has for power we can sign you up at the committee boat. It will make it a little hectic on the committee boat, but not really a problem.
In 2014 we did not run races at Friend- ship, Harpswell and Searsport. All three have said they are back for 2015. The sched- ule for 2015 is: Boothbay*, 20 June; Rockland*, 21 June; Bass Harbor*, 28 June; Moosabec*, 4 July; Searsport*, 11 July; Stonington*, 12 July; Friendship*, 19 July; Harpswell*, 26 July; Winter Harbor*, 8 August; Long Island*, 15 Au- gust; MS-Portland*, 16 August; and Merritt Brackett (Pemaquid ), 16 August. (* denotes point races) Yes, the Portland and Pemaquid races are scheduled for the same day, same time. Unfortunately there is nothing we can
do to rectify the situation. If there is any changes in this schedule I will announce it in “Commercial Fisheries News,” “Maine Coastal News,” and on the offi cial MLBRA website “
mainescoast.com.” The Annual Awards, Banquet and Meeting has been scheduled for 24 October. The question is where to host next year’s banquet. Keith and Travis Otis have made several inquiries, but at this time they have not fi nalized a place. Some of the thoughts were Point Lookout in Northport; Season’s, Bangor; Tradewinds, Rockland; Tugboat Inn, Boothbay Harbor or return to Holly- wood Casino, Bangor. Well should have this shored up in the next couple of weeks so it is printed on the posters coming out in early May.
With that the meeting was adjourned. The committee that elects new mem- bers to the Maine Lobster Boat Racing Hall of Fame (Sari Bunker, Brent Davis, Bruce Engert, Jon Johansen, Wayne Rich, and Nick Wiberg) gathered and began tossing names around for this year’s induction. When the dust settled there were three new members added: Osmond Beal; Bill Hallinan; and Glenn Holland.
They join the following: Gus Alley; Benny Beal; Calvin Beal, Jr.; Isaac Beal; Merle Beal; Richard Duffy; Sid Eaton; Jerry Farrin; Will Frost; Andrew Gove; Corliss Holland; Fred Lenfesty; Ernest Libby, Jr.; Jim Preston; Brian Robbins; Lewis Stewart;
C o n t e n t s
Calendar of Events Publisher's Note
Boatbuilder's Hall of Fame US Navy News
4 4 5 6
Yacht Racing News
America's Cup News Vendee Globe
Waterfront News MMA News Boatbuilding Live
9 9
8 8
Alvin Passes Inpsection DMR News
9 Commercial Fishing News From the Director, DELA Misc. Commercial Fishing News
10 11 12
Boat Yard News
Seventies Memories History from the Past
Classifi ed Ads Maritime History 22 26-31
14 21
David Taylor; and Young Brothers (Arvin and Arvid).
Some of the names in the Hall of Fame will be unknown to those that did not fol- lowed racing back three or more decades. Hopefully in the next several months I can put together short biographies with photo- graphs so what they accomplished will not be forgotten. The Penobscot Marine Muse- um in Searsport has already said that they would love to be the host for an exhibit. As for what new racers we will see this
year, we have heard some rumblings. Tom Clemons of Harpswell is currently fi nishing out a Northern Bay 36 hull, built by General Marine in Biddeford. He will be powering her with a C-18 Caterpillar, which has more than 1,100-hp, and that is being done in Chip Johnson’s shop in Harpswell. Johnson Boat Yard on Long Island has an interesting project, and no not one for Steve himself. This one is for Ed Shirley. He raced MISS KARLEE last year, which is a Mitchell Cove 32, powered with 420-hp Sisu. Well let us see if a C-18 Caterpillar will fi t. This could be interesting and real fast! There have been several rumours fl oating around about racers looking to compete in Gasoline Class D. We have heard LORNA R. will be out this year as well as FOOLISH PLEASURE, which races in Gasoline Class E. We are hoping the Ellery Alley brings back out UNDERDOG
Continued on Page 24.
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