Vintage Yachts Compete in Castine, Eggemoggin Reach
BY AARON PORTER - ELLSWORTH - Classic yacht competitions dominated the local racing schedule over the past week.

The first race was the Sparkman & Stephens Cup, sailed between the Cape Cod Canal and Castine. The race started July 31 with a 15-knot southwest wind. Bob Scott, owner of the first place New York 32, Falcon, said the sailing was terrific, with winds building to 30 knots through the night.

Staff Photo by Denise Farwell Designer Olin Stephens at the helm of Stormy during match racing against the new Morris 36 last week.

Photo by Ellen Booraem A Rozinante Ketch slips along in the light winds during Saturday's Eggemoggin Reach Regatta.

Staff Photo by Denise Farwell Two Dark Harbor 20s flank the schooner Victory Chimes off Casstine Harbor as part of the Aug. 4 Sparkman & Stephens Cup races.

Gary Gregory's 64-foot Sparkman & Stephens 12-meter Valiant crossed the finish line in 18 hours and 40 minutes. However, she lost on corrected time to Falcon and another New York 32 Siren, skippered by Peter Cassidy.

Seven other boats took part in the race as part of 75th anniversary celebrations for the Sparkman & Stephens yacht design firm.

On Aug. 4, a series of match races were held featuring five different Sparkman & Stephens designs. In the Dark Harbor 20 competition, Mark Collins in Fildil beat our Bob McNeil's Winsome and Lee Fentress in Skylark.

In the New York 32 competition, Siren placed first, followed by Falcon and Debbie Rogers in Gentian.

Eli Slater in Galavant beat Jim Pitney sailing First Light in the Seguin 44 competition.

The new outpaced the old in a competition between classic Sparkman & Stephens sloop Stormy and the new Sparkman & Stephens designed Morris 36. Firm founder Olin Stephens was at the helm of Stormy while current chief naval architect Greg Matzat sailed the Morris 36.

Stormy took an early lead but was becalmed off the entrance to Castine Harbor

With all these races already behind them, organizers from the Castine Yacht Club hosted the fifth annual Castine Classic Yacht Race between Castine and Camden. With 47 yachts participating, the race got under way in 14 knots of wind. Valiant made short work of the racecourse down East Penobscot Bay and around Robinson Rock. Her three-hour, one-minute time was good enough to give her the Classic A and fleet honors even on corrected time.

She was followed in Classic A standings by Andrews Nixon in the Sparkman & Stephens designed Windalier and Robert McNeil in the Herreshoff Joyant.

In classic B competition, the 1929 vintage 6-meter Alana, sailed by Thby Rodes, edged out Alfred Slanetz on the New York 30, Cara Mia.

Doug Adkins on the Concordia Yawl, Coriolis, placed third in the division.

In Classic C competition, Vince Todd's Little Harbor 36, Thora, was the winner. She was followed by Doug Peterson's Concordia Yawl, Skye, in second and Thny Oppersdorff's Fidelio.

In the Classic D division, Howard Knox's 36-foot Herreshoff, Dolphin placed first. Thorpe Leeson's Old Rarity placed second, with an all-woman crew. She was followed by Thomas Latta's Concordia Yawl, Carol Lyn.

In the Spirit of Tradition division, White Wings, a 76-foot sloop designed for Donald Tofias by Joel White, took first place honors. She was followed by Pleione, a new International 8 meter sailed by Bruce Dyson. Third place was filled by Steve White in his Brooklin-built sloop Vortex.

As the overall winner of the race, Valiant owner Gary Gregory was awarded the Ames Cup, donated to the Castine Yacht Club by

Margaret Ames in memory of he husband and two sons lost at sea in the 1935 Newport to Oslo race.

The Camden to Brooklin race, known as the Camden Classic Yacht Race was sailed Friday. Results were unavailable at press time.

The 19th annual Eggemoggin Reach Regatta was sailed Saturday from Brooklin under dramatic skies and variable wind condition as showers built over the land More than 80 boats took part b the race. Competition started a 11:45 a.m.

Classic A division honors went to Tony Correa in Noeta. He was followed by John Blodgett in Gosling and John Hanson in Fiery Jubilee.

Classic B division was won by Tom Kiley in Snow Star followed by Doug Adkins in Coriolis and Jim Payne sailing Kristin.

Classic C competition was won by Charles Nethersole in Susanna followed by Dick Jacoby in Caper and Jack Farrell in Aloft.

Vintage A division was won by Howard Knox in Dolphin. John Carter in Albacore and Dave McPhearson in Thistle rounded out the class.

Vintage B competition was won by Ule Ulbrich in Hayseed followed by Bob McNeil in Joyant and Peter Cassidly in Siren.

Spirit of Tradition competition was won by Gary Gragory in Valiant followed by Richard Schotte in Lena and Jay Cushman in Gusto.

Snow Star was awared the Aage Nielsen trophy Coriolis won the Concordia Award.

Siren won the Sparkman & Stephens award on corrected time and Valiant won the uncorrected honors as well as the shortest elapsed time of 3 hours, 10 minutes.

Hayseed won the Joel White award for first plank-on-frame constructed vessel on corrected time.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Thursday, August 12, 2007 edition of the The Ellsworth American and is used here with permission."