Foster takes first race of annual East Grand regatta

Third race of sail boat series is August 8

By Frank Bolton
Special to the Pioneer Times
    After weeks of overcast or rainy weather, Saturday July 11th was the third day in a row that one could see the sun rise. The day remained bright and quite windy for the first race of the three-race regatta on East Grand Lake. Begun a number of years ago under the auspices of CLIC, the Chiputneticook Lakes International Conservancy, this is the second year the regatta has been run by the Peter’s Cover Yacht Club, a group of sailors who take their boats out onto Grand Lake regularly.
    CLIC had to drop sponsorship of the event because of insurance liability issues before last summer’s regatta so the Yacht Club, which had been a joke among friends, became a dues-paying group which files for a permit with the state to run the regatta. They abide by all the regulations that the state has for such events and get the dates for the races approved in advance.
Contributed photograph
ON THE WATER – Bob Foster maneuvers his Hobie 16 through the waters of East Grand Lake during the first race of the three-race regatta held July 11. The second race was July 25 and the last one is Aaugust 8.
    The races follow the Portsmouth Yardstick which provides a handicap for the various classes of boats, thereby allowing recreational sailboats, racers and cruisers all to complete on a fair basis. Nine boats lined up for the race but the wind was so strong that the shroud on Jim Hillman’s boat snapped, disabling her for the race. The shroud is a wire cable that runs from a sailing vessel’s side to the mast to offset lateral strain.
    Because of the strong winds, the race was run very quickly, with the boats skippered by Bob Foster (in a Hobie 16), Paul LaPointe (a Lightning) and Bob Ellis (an Aquarius 23) placing first, second and third respectively. Interestingly, each of these boats represented a different class.
    But even when the race was over, the wind hadn’t finished for the day. As he sailed back to Forest City, Barry Parker’s catamaran (a two-hulled vessel) separated. Had this happened during the race, one of the safety boats would have been at his side within several minutes, at most. Nonetheless, Barry got home safely.
    The sailors and crew, the committee boat team (who start the race and time each boat), the safety boat crews and various friends – a total of about 40 people — gathered at Frank and Barbara’s Bolton’s camp in Orient for a pot luck supper that evening. Barry and Jim Hillman were there, happy to be mingling with those who had better luck during the day.
    After the third race, the overall winner of the regatta and the winners in each class are chosen based on their best two races. Anyone wishing to sail in the second and third races should contact Paul LaPointe at 532-7926. The remaining race is Saturday, Aug. 8.