Small Reach Regatta 2010
July 28 to August 1
For the coming year, we have some significant changes. First, the SRR will be held at Lamoine State Park, some miles east of Ellsworth, Maine. The park has very good facilities, including a beach and a nice boat launching ramp. It puts the sailing grounds of Frenchman Bay, on the east side of Mount Desert Island, within easy reach. The area’s scenic qualities are unparalleled.
2010 is also the 75th anniversary of the Maine State Parks system, and the parks officials have been very gracious in welcoming us to Lamoine State Park.
Another big change this year is that we’ll have three full days of sailing. Arrival will be on Wednesday, with sailing on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and haulout and departure on Sunday.
There are no hard-and-fast rules imposed on boat types or lengths, but in general this fleet will consist of traditional rowing and sailing boats between 15′ and 20′ LOA capable of putting in to a beach and relaunching without assistance. Depending on wind and weather (which may include fog, rain, or times of no wind), rowing may be an important part of the activities. Boats equipped with auxiliary outboards are asked to refrain from using them unless safety demands otherwise. In general, full-keel and fixed fin-keel boats are excluded. Oars-only boats are OK, but be aware that the courses can be as long as 15 miles. Wooden construction, whether traditional plank-on-frame, cold-molded, or plywood, is highly encouraged, as are owner-built boats, but fiberglass boats are also acceptable if they are of traditional sail-and-oar type. A fleet of motorized chase boats will accompany the fleet.
In general, a spirit of volunteerism prevails at the Small Reach Regatta, in launchings, haulouts, cleanup, and many other ways. Most participants regard this as one of the crucial parts of the experience.
We still have a lot of details to nail down, but we wanted to get these dates settled as soon as we could. When we have the usual event notification ready, probably by the end of December, we’ll post it as usual on the WoodenBoat web site. A Facebook page has also been established. We’ll start taking applications January 4 and close applications March 1, as in previous years. We’re all very excited by this change, and we think that SRR 2010—Frenchman Bay will be a memorable experience!
Feel free to spread the word.
Tom Jackson