Details are now coming out about Maine’s newest regatta series, the Penobscot Bay Rendezvous, and the more we hear about it, the better it sounds. The four-day affair, planned for August 18-21 in Camden, Rockland and Thomaston, will feature a series of sailboat races for everything from cruisers as small as 30 feet to superyachts sailing under the Bucket Rules that have become increasingly popular from Newport to the Caribbean. For power boats, there will be a pursuit competition (organizers are being careful not to call it a “race”) where entrants will be required to visit a variety of Penobscot Bay landmarks and will be judged on the quality of the photos they take at those locations, as well as a poker run that will take them to Lincolnville Beach and a variety of other coastal locations. At least 100 boats are expected to participate in the rendezvous, including local windjammers, lobsterboats, and PHRF-racers and one-design sailboats. Entrants must be at least 30 feet LOA in order to participate.
The rendezvous is sponsored by Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding in Thomaston and Wayfarer Marine Corporation in Camden. “Penobscot Bay is such an incredibly beautiful body of water with islands, mountains and the most charming coastal towns and offers some of the most spectacular sailing and boating. Yacht clubs and boaters from away come here every summer to enjoy this place, Cabot [Lyman] and I thought why shouldn’t we organize a regatta to highlight the Penobscot Bay experience,” explained Wayfarer owner Shane Flynn. In addition to the racing, Lyman-Morse and Wayfarer will both be offering tours of their facilities and will host a dinner for entrants on Thursday and Saturday nights, respectively. Thursday night will also feature fireworks over the St. George River. The entrance fee of $360 covers all events: three breakfasts, two dinners, a cocktail party at the Camden Yacht Club, and the awards ceremony, as well as racing for two people.
It almost seems hard to believe that by late March, our summer boating calendar is already filling up. But with the addition of this new gathering for fans of power and sail, it’s looking like we won’t be spending much time on dry land this year!
For more information on the Penobscot Bay Rendezvous, including entry forms, click here.
Photos of Penobscot Bay Rendezvous Power and Sail Regatta
