Page 18. MAINE COASTAL NEWS August 2018 Lobster Boat Racing - Bass Harbor, Moosabec & Stonington
Continued from Page 1. This is a battle in Diesel Class F at Bass Harbor between Parker Murphy’s BAND-IT and
Robert Lee III’s JUSTIN & COLBY II with BAND-IT just getting by.
700 hp, 36 feet and over), was going to be interesting as Heather Thompson’s GOLD DIGGER [Wayne Beal 36; 675-hp Scania] was going to face off against Andrew Gove’s UNCLE’S UFO [Northern Bay 36; 700-hp Volvo] and Scott Keenan’s DEAR ABBIE [Northern Bay 38, 700 hp Volvo]. As they came up the course, GOLD DIGGER had the lead by a little more than a boat length with UNCLE’S UFO second and DEAR ABBIE on her stern. There was just one entrant in Class K (701 to 900 hp, 28 feet and over) Jeff Eaton’s LA BELLA VITA [Northern Bay 38; 750-hp FPT] and he opt- ed to race in Class O (Non-working boats, any length, any horsepower) with Cameron Crawford’s WILD, WILD WEST [West 28; 1,050-hp Isotta]. There were no entrants in Class L (901 hp and over, 28 feet and over), but six boats came to the line for Class M(A) (40 feet and over, up to 500 hp). As the racers Chris Pope’s OLD SCHOOL [Holland 41; 380-hp Cummins] slipped over fi rst. At the fi rst two races this year there has been a great battle between the reigning champion Eric Beal’s KIMBERLY ANN [Calvin Beal 42; 750-hp FPT] and Jason Chipman’s MISS AMITY [Osmond 42; 700-hp Scania] with both wins going to KIMBERLY ANN in Class M(B) (40 feet and over, 501 to 750 hp). As they neared the fi nish line it was MISS AMITY in front by a boat length and took the win. In Class N (40 feet and over, 751 hp and over) it was Joshua Beal’s KAYLA ANNE [Calvin Beal 44; 1,000-hp MAN] getting the win over Bill Haass’ renamed boat 44 OVER [Mussel Ridge 42; 1,000-hp MAN], who was a close second. Now came
the race between WILD, WILD WEST and LA BELLA VITA and the results were as expected as WILD, WILD WEST shot out of the hole for the fi nish line with LA BELLA VITA back several boat lengths. There was just one entrant in each of
the Wooden Boat Classes. In Class A (up to 35 feet 11 inches) it was Colyn Rich running WIDE OPEN and in Class B (36 feet and over) it was Wayne Rich’s RICH RETURNS [38’ Robert Rich; 210-hp Cummins]. They came up together with each getting the win in their respective classes. WIDE OPEN returned to the starting line and run up the course to win the Gaso- line Free-for-All as the only entrant. Seven boats were on the line for the
Diesel Free-for-All and it was no surprise who the winner was as WILD, WILD WEST streaked by, with second going to GOLD DIGGER. In the Fastest Lobster Boat race again
it was WILD, WILD WEST, followed by GOLD DIGGER and LA BELLA VITA and WIDE OPEN took fourth. Five boats were on the line for the
fi nal race of the day, Bass Harbor’s Fastest Lobster boat, which was won by RACHEL IRENE.
Three down, with the next race at Moos-
abec Reach on 30 July. We were hoping for more racers in the Gasoline Classes. Jeremy Beal was getting the engine rebuilt for his racer and it is in the boat. Sean Alley was hoping to have LITTLE GIRLS [28’ Calvin Beal Jr.; 514 Ford] done for this race, but he is now hoping for Friendship on 22 July. He bought the V-Drive from FOOLISH PLEASURE [30’ Custom Riley Beal; 632 Chevrolet] and has been trying to get that
Saving Tug SATURN
Dean Beal’s MISS NORMA continued his winning ways in Class H. Just behind him is Tony Graham’s JUST DEW IT, who got second.
together and it is taking more time than was originally thought.
MOOSABEC – This is where it all began, racing Friendship sloops in the early 1900s. The forecast was for great weather, but one always worries about the dreaded fog, but on race day it was clear all the way out the Reach and down around the islands. When sign-ups were done we had 100
racers for the day, the most racers they have had in the last 10 years. There were several new and a few
others boats that had not raced before. In the Gasoline Classes, Class B was Nathan Turchi’s HELEN II [30’; 150-hp Chevrolet]; Dean Alley’s JERSEY GIRL [Duff y 26; 350 Chevrolet] and Class E Jeremy Beal’s MISS MARINA & MARIE [Crowley 28; 1000+-hp Chevrolet]. In the Diesel Classes: Class A, Mitch White’s MONEY SHOT [Osmond 27; 220-hp John Deere]; Class B, Norman Libby, Sr.’s MISS EUNILAH [Libby 34; 205-hp Caterpillar]; Class D, Michael Emerson’s RACHEL & LORET- TA [Crowley-Beal 35; 305-hp Cummins]; Glenn Libby’s SYLVIA JEAN [Libby 34; 300-hp Caterpillar]; Ivan Libby’s WRECK- ING CREW [Libby 38; 300-hp Caterpillar]; Class F: Braden Alley’s HAYLEY MARIE [Mitchell Cove 35; 420-hp Caterpillar]; Class G: Scott MacNichol’s BRAYDEN’S FUTURE [35’ home-made; 440-hp Yan- mar]; Class H: Calvin Beal, Jr.’s JEANINE MARIE [Calvin beal 36; 500-hp Cummins]; Tony Graham’s JUST DEW IT [Mitchell Cove 37; 550-hp John Deere]; Class M(A): Patrick Kelley’s FEELIN’ NAUTI [Osmond 40; 405-hp Cummins]; Class M(B): Jordan Drouin’s DEVOCEAN [Calvin Beal 44; 730-hp MAN]; Keven Tozier’s LOBSTER MONSTER; Matt Lester’s LORD BYRON [Mussel Ridge 46; 750-hp Nanni]; Class N: Travis Alley’s ANOTHER NOTCH [Wayne Beal 46; 800-hp]; Jeff Libby, II’s AUTUMN GALE [Dixon 48, 900-hp Scania]; and Tra- vis Perry’s ISLA & GRYSON [Osmond 50; 1600-hp Baudouin]. With everything in the computer the
race committee jumped onboard Aaron Smith’s EZ RIDER and off to the fi nish line. If no fog was the fi rst miracle, then starting the races on time would be the second. The fi rst race of the day was for rec-
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reational boats, and Moosabec is the only venue that still holds them. When the fl ag dropped you could see them bouncing their way to the fi nish with huge rooster tails behind them. It was obvious that Curtis Robinson’s racer [18’ Glastron; 600-hp] was going to repeat his win from the year before. Second went to Alton Smith’s ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL [17’ Starcraft Elim- inator; 200-hp Mercury]. Kraig Church’s HYDROSCREAM died about half way down the course and did not fi nish. There is a saying about herding cats,
well that is an excellent description of the Work Boat Classes and trying to fi gure out who is who and where they fi nished. In Class A Michael Gray’s SHIT DIGGER [14’ Lund; 25-hp Yamaha] was well ahead and got the win. Eleven boats came to the line for Class B and as they came up the course the race committee on the fi nish line noted that there was a boat in the course. The two lead boats were bow to bow and split the boat in the course and headed for the fi nish line still bow to bow. There was hardly any separation, but the judges ruled that fi rst went to Ralph Davis’ ALPEX [16’, 90 hp Johnson]. There were seven boats on the line for Class C and the win went to Marcus Fenton’s BANDIT [Northern Bay 20; 300- hp Yamaha]. The once most popular classes had
been in the Gasoline division, but almost all fi shermen are now powered with diesels the numbers have shrunk. We had no en- trants in Class A and Class D. There were four racers on the line for Class B and the pre-race favourite and winner was Wayne and Colyn Rich’s WIDE OPEN from Bass Harbor. There was only one entrant in Class C, BLACK DIAMOND and one in Class E, Jeremy Beal’s MISS MARINA & MARIE so they came up the course together. Jeremy had got his engine together and in the boat mid-week, but there had been little time to get her dialed in. When the fl ag dropped one could hear Jeremy’s engine scream to life and make her way up the course, but a third of the way to the fi nish, she died. After the race Jeremy said that it was a tuning issue and he hoped to have her ready for Stoning- ton. However, I received a call on 4 July and he is going to Plan B. Now came the diesel classes, though
mostly well attended there were no entrants in Classes K and Class L. In Class A six boats were on the line and the top honours went to Josef Guptil’s HOT SHOT [Osmond 27, 220-hp John Deere]. The dominate boat in Class B for the last several years has been Ennis Wright’s ERIKA & KYLE [Young Brothers 33; 230-hp Cummings] and today was no diff erent. In Class C the only entrant was LAST DESIGN so he ran up with the seven competitors in Class D. In Class D Glenn Libby’s SYLVIA JEAN took the early lead with Ivan Libby’s WRECKING CREW back a couple of boat lengths. The early favourite in Class E was Kenton Fenney’s BAD INFUENCE, who had won at Bass Harbor and he would win today. In Class F, LeBaron Libby’s GRAMP’S LEGACY [Libby 34; 410-hp FTP] jumped into the lead and showed the other fi ve racers the way to the fi nish. The dominate boat so far this year in Class G has been RIGHT STUFF and he won again at Moosabec. MISS NORMA continued her winning ways in Class H. There was only one entrant in the Class I, MISTY and in Class J, GOLD DIGGER so
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