On Saturday, September 6th, nine Rockland Yacht Club boats sailed to Bayside to compete in the racing classes of Northport Yacht Club's annual Around Isleboro Race. Other classes included sponsored and non sponsored cruising boats without spinnakers and a single handed class. This race circumnavigates Isleboro with one exception, the boats must navigate through Gilkey Harbor and the narrow Brackett's Channel bypassing Seven Hundred Acre and Job Island on the southwest side. This year the winds around the island which always seem to be unpredictable were even more aberrant. As one member expressed, "It's the first time he can recall that he was ever able to sail around an island and be able to carry the spinnaker virtually the whole way." It was a beautiful, sunny day to be on Penobscot Bay. The race started with thirty-two boats in a downwind start off Bayside in light northwesterly winds shortly after ten in the morning. Those sailing in the racing class set there spinnakers and were able to carry them for most of the rest of the day. While most boats chose to work along the west shore for the better off-shore breeze a few stayed out and were able to gain on the rest of the fleet.. The wind picked up and by noontime the fleet was entering Gilkey Harbor in a parade of colorful spinnakers and white sails. Gusting winds in the harbor kept the crews busy trimming and adjusting. At the south end of Gilkey Harbor there is the narrow Brackett's Channel through which the fleet had to pass. Hugging the eastern side to avoid the rocky and shallow ledge to the west, the boats bunched together with near collisions and shouts of "starboard!" Upon clearing the channel the boats were confronted with the southeasterly wind sweeping in from the east forcing the dousing of the spinnakers and a shift to gennies and tacking to clear Pendleton Point only to set spinnakers again. Most boats chose to work along the east shore of Isleboro but some reached out into the Bay for what seemed to be a faster point of sail. Those boats standing in close to shore to round Turtle Head at the top of Isleboro were able to grab the strong winds flowing up the west side of Penobscot Bay while the boats that were out struggled to find wind in the sheer north of Isleboro. Crossing the upper west side of Penobscot Bay initially provided fifteen knot and higher wind from the south only to fall dead behind the bluff along the west shore so that the finish turned into a rafting party.

On corrected time Neil and Susan Woodside's Kestrel of Kingfield, Maine, a newly acquired Ranger 23 blew in to second place overall and finished first in the non sponsored racing division. Marshall Cary's Adventure of Hampden, a Sabre 30 captured third place in the non sponsored race division and was tenth overall. Conditions favored the smaller boats on corrected time. Of the RYC boats, finishing in order on corrected time overall and with their position in the non sponsored racing division on corrected time, were Doug Pope of Warren in Walkabout who was fourth; Jim Cuthbertson of Thomaston in Rumpleteaser was fifth; Gust and Ann Stringos of Skowhegan in Bluebird finished seventh in the sponsored racing division; Dave Jones of Rockport in Elvis Tuna was seventh in the non sponsored racing division; Gary Cran of Owl's Head in Black Bear was eighth; Dave Hoy of Camden in Wyanoke was ninth; Ken and Susan Priest of South China with Ian Kopp of Topsham in Extra Beat was eleventh; Dick Bentzel of Fairfield in Natalie B dropped out with a mechanical problem.

Northport Y.C. hosted a pasta supper on Friday night, a continental breakfast on Saturday morning, and a splendid awards dinner Saturday night. It was a great time for the Rockland Yacht Club members who participated. In the non sponsored racing division they placed eight boats out of eleven; including non sponsored and sponsored racing divisions they placed nine boats out of eighteen.

This year's Around Islesboro Race, sponsored by the Northport Yacht Club, was held on Saturday, September 6, 2003. Ten Rockland Yacht Club sailboats made their way to Northport through foggy waters on Friday to enter this annual event: Adventure, Black Bear, Blue Bird, Elvis Tuna, Extra Beat, Kestrel, Rumpleteaser, Walkabout, Wyanoke, and Natalie B. It was a great turnout for the club, and showed the continuing commitment of RYC members to interclub racing. The race organizers announced at the Saturday morning skippers' meeting what many RYC entrants had predicted: that this year's race would be counterclockwise around the island, the course taking the fleet through Gilkey Harbor and the constricted Brackett's Channel at close to low tide. The fleet was divided into two starting groups: cruisers sailing without spinnakers, and racers sailing with spinnakers. The cruising group got its start at 10:00 am in light northwesterly winds, followed five minutes later by the racing group. It was a downwind start with spinnakers flying, some boats choosing to sail to port looking for wind in the center of the bay, and others hugging the shoreline. Within an hour the decision of a few, including Extra Beat and Adventure, to hug the Northport shoreline, began to pay dividends. A handful of boats, including NYC entrants Gold Rush and Secret Water, and RYC entrants Extra Beat and Adventure, arrived at Gilkey Harbor and made the turn to port. Close behind them was a second group of boats, including NYC entrant Shockwaves, who had found increasing wind building from behind. Proceeding through Gilkey Harbor and into the treacherous Brackett's Channel, the leaders found the wind dying and their spinnakers drooping, as another group of boats caught up from behind. Gold Rush, skippered by Dick Wiken of Hampden, soon ran aground outside the channel. As the crew rocked Gold Rush to free her, Extra Beat and Secret Water passed her, soon joined by Adventure. A "traffic jam" of boats under spinnaker soon developed at the most constricted point in Brackett's Channel, as more boats from behind came up and found themselves almost becalmed. As the leading boats began to make their way out the eastern side of the channel, a wind shift from the south began to slowly build in. Spinnakers were doused and jibs raised. Gold Rush miraculously freed herself from the rock upon which she had sat motionless only minutes earlier, and proceeded slowly to the east at the head of a pack of boats. Soon the entire fleet had put Brackett's Channel behind them.

As the fleet turned the corner and entered the eastern Penobscot Bay, some chose to again sail out toward the center of the bay, while others hugged the Islesboro shoreline. Still others chose the middle route. The wind swung around and became southwesterly, and once again spinnakers were hoisted. A colorful parade worked its way slowly to the north in light wind toward Turtle Head, some 10 nautical miles downwind. Those boats closest to the eastern shore of Islesboro had slightly more wind, and gained an advantage, although the wind continued to lighten as the fleet approached Turtle Head. Secret Water and Elvis Tuna, so close to the Islesboro shore that they risked running aground on the numerous rocks and shoals, continued to gain on the boats further out. Gold Rush, having freed herself after being aground earlier, began to make wide downwind tacks across the bay searching for speed. Meanwhile, Adventure continued downwind under her red spinnaker at an angle of 170 degrees to the wind, trying to maintain parity with Secret Water, trailed closely by Rumpleteaser. Behind were Wyanoke and Blue Bird, their stern wind diminishing and their speed falling. Out much further and well ahead were Extra Beat and Walkabout, gybing their spinnakers frequently in the continuing search for an extra quarter knot of wind. Nearer the center of the bay were Black Bear and Shockwaves, finally gybing toward the Islesboro shore as the wind in the center of the bay continued to lighten. Approaching Turtle Head, the leaders found themselves nearly becalmed, their spinnakers hanging limp like kitchen towels on a stove, the water's surface like a mirror. Ahead and to port around the corner could be seen the one thing that every competitor most wanted: wind freshening and rippling across the surface of the bay. But getting still there remained a major challenge, as some boats split to starboard and others held to port along the shoreline in zero wind conditions. The helmsman of Adventure, Marshall Cary, actually tried both approaches, finally settling on a course as close as possible to the shoreline and Turtle Head, where the wind could be seen as steadily increasing ripples on the water. Black Bear, skippered by Gary Cran, also struggled to keep its spinnaker filled. As the leaders rounded Turtle Head one by one, dropping their spinnakers and unfurling their jibs, each "took off like a rocketship" toward Northport and the finish line in a southwesterly breeze now increasing rapidly to 16 knots. Extra Beat, Elvis Tuna, and Walkabout now blasted toward the finish line, followed by Adventure and Black Bear. Behind them came Dotcom, a Star from Northport skippered by Jim Kelly. Jim, it should be recounted, was crossing the street to enter the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:15 am on the morning of 9/ 11/ 01 when the first hijacked airplane struck the North Tower, causing him to wisely retreat safely back across the street. Behind Dotcom came Rumpleaser and Blue Bird, with Wyanoke still struggling to round the point. Somewhere further back was Natalie B, now plagued by mechanical problems, and finally forced to drop out of the race.

Confidently approaching the finish line the leaders were once again faced with a massive windshift, forcing them to tack in light air just short of the line. A suspenseful finish ensued as boats tacked in a minimal northwesterly breeze. The first three boats to finish (total elapsed time) were all from the Rockland Yacht Club: Extra Beat, Elvis Tuna and Walkabout. Adventure finished 8th on total elapsed time, soon followed by Black Bear, Kestrel, Rumpleteazer, Blue Bird and Wyanoke. When all boats had finished, and adjustments were made for PHRF handicap, the fantastic performance of the Rockland Yacht Club leaders was virtually cancelled out by their low PHRF numbers. Kestrel, a Ranger 23 skippered by Neil Woodside, with a PHRF of 240, won First Place honors in the Non-Sponsored Racing Division. Adventure, a Sabre 30 skippered by Marshall Cary, with a PHRF of 168, won Third Place. As has been the case in past years, NYC boats with high PHRF handicaps exceeding 200 won five out of six awards in the Cruising Class, and two out of three awards in the Sponsored Racing Class. Dotcom and Shockwaves were the two NYC boats with PHRF handicaps under 200 to win awards. The Penobscot Bay Cup, awarded to the yacht club whose entrants win the greatest number of awards in this race, went again to the Northport Yacht Club, whom we sincerely congratulate on a fine overall performance.