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High Summer, High Spirits in the Reach

The Eggemoggin Reach Regatta takes place annually on the first Saturday in August, and that’s how it’s been ever since the first race in 1985. It’s a ’round-the-buoy contest of 15 miles out into Jericho Bay and return for wooden sailboats longer than 25′ and the event quickly grew from the original 13-boat fleet to 100 or more lovely classics. A couple of feeder races (Castine-to-Camden on Thursday and Camden-to-Brooklin on Friday) bring in much of the ERR fleet, making Friday and Saturday evenings a wonderful sight for classic yacht voyeurs.

Mid-size yachts in the 30-50′ range make up most of the fleet but occasionally big ones show up such as the 1930 America‘s Cup challenger Shamrock V, and the tall ships Gazela or Pride of Baltimore.

Brooklin Boat Yard and Rockport Marine are co-sponsors, and WoodenBoat Publications is where the shoreside festivities take place late Saturday afternoon into the evening, and include food, music, and the award ceremony.

Yachts that are anchored in pastoral Great Cove have the place pretty much to themselves and that’s true of the racecourse as well, so with spruce and granite backgrounds, it’s perfect for shooting photos. It’s often calm at the start and gradually breezes up in the afternoon when the southwest wind pipes up.  So there are a wide variety of sailing conditions and at times things get exciting!

Maynard shot most of the following photos from one of his boats, sometimes while racing  Aida, others from the committee boat, and still more while ranging through the anchored fleet. This is a sampling; his collection has many more.

Havilah Hawkins Jr. helms the 25-foot motorboat Gramp behind a number of sailboats at the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta in 1988.
The 52' gaff-rigged sloop Dyon enjoys a slim lead over the yawl Madrigal on a gleeful broad reach during the 1988 Regatta.
The crew of the 8-Meter class sloop Hanjague bury the port rail in a muscular breeze during the 1989 Regatta.
The 25' Concordia sloop Jeanne points toward a headland on a starboard tack during the 1989 Regatta.
The super slippery staysail schooner Fortune is shown here under sail without the main staysail set. Staysails help break up the sail area into smaller units, giving sailors finer control over power and handling under a variety of conditions.
The crew of the 39’ Sparkman & Stephens keel yawl Pangur Ban appear to be thrilled about their headway; a feisty beam reach has their port rail underwater.
The crew of the sloop Angelita have raised the spinnaker for a leisurely run during the 1990 Regatta.
Builder Joel White was the satisfied owner of the 35' cruising cutter Northern Crown for nearly 20 years. He sailed her a number of times in the ERR. She's shown here in 1991 with her spinnaker aloft like a flag saluting the August wind.
The 120' J-Class Sloop Shamrock V (right) makes for a dramatic spectacle bearing down on an unidentified sloop near the finish line of Maine’s 1991 Eggemoggin Reach Regatta. Shamrock V was commissioned by a Scottish Baronet to race as an America's Cup boat. Her mahogany planking was laid over steel frames, and she featured a hollow spruce mast. She's the only J-Class sloop which has been well-maintained to the present day.
The 38' double-ended keel ketch Pelagic is well-built for cruising, with ample beam, plenty of sail area, and a 36 hp inboard diesel.
This unidentified schooner, better than 50' long with a traditional rig, makes for a beautiful sight. The photo itself is a perfect capture, with the line formed by the bows of two nearby sloops receding toward the mainland.
Entrants are raring to go on this breezy August morning in 1994. The boats approaching the starting line include two Concordia yawls, at left.
The yawl Jubilee and the sloop Angelita jockey for their starting positions at the 1994 Eggemoggin Reach Regatta.
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