Windjammer Days 2022

Thu, 06/30/2022 - 2:45pm

LISA KRISTOFF

Feeling good. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

2022 winning team Shmaker’s Bay! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Second racer, second race home stretch. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Still a way to go ... LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

This racer is just about ready, but his competitor is already back! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

All three teams almost ready to be presented with fish. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

The finish line is in view. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

And he’s off! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

The crowd cheered for this determined lad. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Getting a little help from race coordinator and sponsor Jack Herger. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

He’s down, but he’s still got the fish! KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Calm runner. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Shmaker’s Bay team member nears the finish line. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Shmaker’s Bay team cheers on its last runner. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Shmaker’s Bay member. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Gonna be a close one. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Collision! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Confident. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Don’t look now! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Finish line bound. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

First race and the women are ready! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

First race! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

First run of the second race included the boys’ team, “The Winners.” LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Almost there. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Kevin Tyska of the Shipyard Scallywags after losing his boot, tripping again, and falling again. And all he could do was smile! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

On the way back fish a-flying. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Second race, second young racer setting out. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Spectators begin lining Commercial Street. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

The race teams 2022. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Shmaker’s Bay takes to the course. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

They won! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Feeling good. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

2022 winning team Shmaker’s Bay! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Second racer, second race home stretch. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Still a way to go ... LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

This racer is just about ready, but his competitor is already back! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

All three teams almost ready to be presented with fish. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

The finish line is in view. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

And he’s off! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

The crowd cheered for this determined lad. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Getting a little help from race coordinator and sponsor Jack Herger. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

He’s down, but he’s still got the fish! KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Calm runner. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Shmaker’s Bay team member nears the finish line. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Shmaker’s Bay team cheers on its last runner. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Shmaker’s Bay member. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Gonna be a close one. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Collision! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Confident. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Don’t look now! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Finish line bound. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

First race and the women are ready! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

First race! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

First run of the second race included the boys’ team, “The Winners.” LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Almost there. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Kevin Tyska of the Shipyard Scallywags after losing his boot, tripping again, and falling again. And all he could do was smile! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

On the way back fish a-flying. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Second race, second young racer setting out. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Spectators begin lining Commercial Street. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

The race teams 2022. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

Shmaker’s Bay takes to the course. LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

They won! LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

LISA KRISTOFF/Boothbay Register

The Fish Relay Races held Wednesday, June 29 during the 60th Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days Festival drew a very large crowd, and why not? It’s one of the most exciting and fun competitions adopted from the region’s former Fishermen’s Festival.

The winning team was Shmaker’s Bay. All four runners and their “manager” were from the Youth Sailing Program at Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club, with a time of two minutes and 55.08 seconds.

Competitors must put on fisherman’s rain gear: jacket, bib pants, and boots, then run like a perfect storm is on their heels around the race course set up on Commercial Street from Whale Park, up past the Smiling Cow and back. And this is adult-sized gear; kids have to wear them, too.

Race 1 teams: 3 Girls, 1 Boy & a Cod vs Shipyard Shipwrights; Race 2 teams: Southern Slashers vs The Slimy Cods and The Winners; Race 3 teams from Capitol Island: Capitol Assets vs Capital Liabilities (fathers and grandfathers vs sons and grandsons; we’ll let you decide who was on each team); Race 4 teams: Shipyard Scallywags vs Speedy Cods; Race 5: Mainers vs Shmakers Bay.

A special prize of $25 was given to Shipyard Scallywags team member Kevin Tyska for “willingly sacrificing his body for the team.” Tyska was involved in a collision, stumbled, kept running, and fell again just before the finish. He finally just stayed lying in the middle of Commercial Street with a huge smile on his face. The spectators loved him.

Both shipyard teams were from The Shipyard/Bristol Marine.

People walked away from this year’s races with many memorable visuals ... the young boy who took off with the jacket hanging like a veil with the hood pretty much blocking his vision. Along the way, one woman tried to quickly adjust the hood as he was running by, now with his pants falling down his legs. Another boy took off running, right out of his boots and just left them and kept on running!

One runner was running so hard while holding on so tightly to his fish, the force beheaded one of them with other pieces flying off the body as he ran to the finish.

The races were definitely ones to remember and, recalling how packed the street was and the expressions of the spectators, the memories will linger for quite some time.