ROCKLAND — It was as sure a sign of spring as anything else in Rockland on Sunday, May 5.

The birds were chirping, foliage leafing out, bees buzzing and the loud blasts of the start sequence blaring out from Peter Clapp’s Race Committee boat as 24 high school sailors jockey for position at the starting line.

With nine teams in total and over 60 registered sailors it was certainly a celebration of spring and the arrival of sailing season.

Was there much wind? No.

Was it a beautiful sunny day, incident and protest free, and full of teens from across the state having a good time? Emphatically yes. 

The Apprenticeshop has been hosting the Breakwater Blast as a free regatta inclined towards junior varsity and less experienced sailors since 2011 and has been part of the ‘Pen Bay League’ of high school racing since its inception in 2016 and the coaches, volunteers and staff of various organizations have been able to keep up the momentum ever since.

The sailors from Islesboro, Boothbay, Cheverus, Rockland, Camden, Portland, Mount Desert Island, George Stevens and Stockton Harbor took turns swapping in and out of boats from the Apprenticeshop Community Sailing fleet to accommodate the large turnout.

Parents, coaches and volunteers were able to watch from the floats moored offshore and Apprenticeshop staff were on hand to shuttle back and forth for food and bathroom breaks.

At the end of the event participants gathered in the shop for a spread of volunteer and shop-provided vittles, handily dispatched by the hungry teens.

This event was raced as a fleet, wherein each school has an “A” boat and “B” boat based on experience.

The scoring is similar to golf where the better you place the fewer points you have at the end.

On the podium at the end of the day stood Isleboro in first, Boothbay in second, and Cheverus in third.

The Apprenticeshop has been a school for traditional boat-building and seamanship since 1972 and is proud to host Camden, Islesboro and Rockland high school sailors practicing every Tuesday and Thursday for eight weeks from April to May and August to October, some schools provide funding to participants. There is also financial aid available from Apprenticeshop as we try to ‘Leave No Child on the Dock’, and summer classes for youth and adults are the perfect way to get started in the sport.

The Apprenticeshop would like to recognize volunteers Peter Clapp, Ken Pride, Sean Guinness, and Mike Horn for their outstanding work as volunteers with the high school sailing program.

If you have any questions about the sailing or boat-building programs at the Apprenticeshop interest in volunteering please feel free to call or email the Apprenticeshop at 594-1800 or info@apprenticeshop.org. 

Full results from the race are below. 

Islesboro (12 points)
A — 1, 3, 1, 2 — 7 points
B — 1, 1, 1, 2 — 5 points

Boothbay I (24 points)
A — 4, 1, 5, 1 — 11 points
B — 6, 3, 3, 1 — 13 points

Cheverus (25 points) 
A — 2, 2, 2, 4 — 10 points
B — 2, 6, 4, 3 — 15 points

Rockland (38 points)
A — 3, 4, 3, 3 — 13 points
B — 7, 7, 2, 9 — 25 points

Camden (46 points) 
A — 6, 9, 8, 8 — 31 points
B — 3, 2, 6, 4, — 15 points

Portland (54 points) 
A — 8, 6, 4, 6 — 24 points
B — 9, 9, 7, 5 — 30 points

Mount Desert Island I (61 points) 
A — 7, 5, 7, 5 — 24 points
B — 4, 11, 12, 10 — 37 points

Mount Desert Island II (66 points)
A — 9, 8, 9, 10 — 36 points
B — 10, 5, 9, 6 — 30 points

Boothbay II (72 points) 
A — 5, 10, 6, 9 — 30 points
B — 12, 8, 10, 12 — 42 points

George Stevens I (75 points) 
A — 10, 7, 10, 7 — 34 points
B — 11, 12, 11, 7 — 41 points

Stockton Harbor (78 points)
A — 11, 11, 11, 11 — 44 points
B — 8, 10, 8, 8 — 34 points

George Stevens II (Did Not Register) 
A — Did Not Sail
B — 5, 4, 5, 11 — 25 points

Reach the sports department at: sports@penbaypilot.com.