BELFAST — The 18th annual Regatta on Belfast Harbor drew gigs, canoes, kayaks, skiffs and other manner of rowing vessels to the northwest corner of Penobscot Bay Aug. 18. The regatta is a 4.2 nautical mile race that began at noon, and proceeded down the shoreline and then looped back to the harbor.

The Regatta is part of Belfast’s Harbor Fest, a celebration of boats and Belfast’s marine heritage. Waterfront activities will include the National Boatbuilding Challenge, maritime exhibits, demonstrations and speakers, a blueberry pancake breakfast, children’s nautical activities, live music, and delicious food.

On Saturday, during the Belfast Harbor Fest, more than 112 rowers, paddlers, and coxes in Pilot Gigs, Surf Skis, Outrigger Canoes, Banks and Gunning Dories, Canoes plus other boat types participated in the 18th Come Boating Regatta.

Folks involved in the Belfast based community rowing and sailing program “Come Boating” again demonstrated their enthusiasm for and commitment to fixed seat rowing in 32 foot Cornish Pilot Gigs with the Come Boating built Gig Selkie rowed by a six person men’s team turning in the fastest time over the course of 48 minutes 30.71 seconds.

The next four fastest boats included solo, four person and six person boats demonstrating a variety of ways to get around (very) quickly on the water.

Two and a half minutes separated the second through fifth fastest boats and only 26.63 seconds separated the times of the third, fourth, and fifth fastest boats.

The Nelo Surf Ski, paddled solo by Hank Thorburn, turned in the second fastest time of 51 minutes and 36.65 seconds.

The men’s team from the Gloucester, Mass., based community rowing organization Gloucester Gig Rowers in the pilot gig Siren Song II turned in the third fastest time at 53 minutes and 49.46 seconds.

The combined Belfast based mens and womens team in the Come Boating built Gig “Belle Fast” was the fourth fastest boat with a time of 54 minutes and 04.06 seconds.

Rounding out the fastest five on Saturday was a four person team paddling a stretched version of Gene Jensen’s classic high performance Minnesota design series touring canoe.  (www.wenonah.com/Canoes.aspx?id=105)

The annual Come Boating Regatta is one of several three season rowing and paddling competitions along the New England Coast including the Snow Row, the Essex River Race, the Blackburn Challenge and the Head of the Weir.

The 32 foot Cornish Pilot Gigs, which have long been one of the mainstays of Come Boating’s community rowing and racing programs, originated in England in the late 1800’s at the peak of the commercial sailing era.

The Pilot Gigs were originally developed to shuttle pilots with local harbor and river knowledge out to incoming large cargo schooners. The Gigs were also used many times as life boats to rescue crew and cargo from faltering vessels.

Some of these fast and seaworthy boats are said to have had more illustrious careers as rum runners or smugglers of various other forms of contraband.

Pilot Gigs are now used in England, across Europe, and in the U.S. in Community Rowing programs. For more about these boats visit the Cornish Pilot Gig Association’s website ( http://www.cpga.co.uk ).

To explore options for participating in Come Boatings rowing, sailing and racing programs visitComeBoating.Org.

Full race results for each class of boat participating are below and more images from the regatta are in the photo gallery.

The results are as follows: