What a race it was!
The 94th Monhegan Island Race & Seguin Sprint was a huge success. With 42 boats registered and over 200 sailors racing, the event made many memories that will last a lifetime. There were first time participants and some who had sailed it back in the 1970’s. What an incredible four days In Maine. From the festivites of the kick off party to the challenges of the beat to Boon Island, from the cool 10-15 SW on the Seguin course to the warm welcome for returning sailors on Saturday night, wrapping up with the sunny music filled awards brunch, this Monhegan made memories!
When we started the Monhegan fleet in 5 knots of breeze with an incoming tide, it looked to be a very long and painful Monhegan. However the breeze filled and the boats got moving, there were some holes, some challenges to navigate as the boats made their way around the course and they persevered! We saw lead changes throughout the leg from Boon to Monhegan. The fleet saw the breeze build for the run home from Monhegan with 5 boats finishing before sunset! Crews reported whale sightings, shooting stars, and a lot of seaweed this year!
John Myles Veladare sailed the fastest corrected time on the Monhegan course this year with Barry Larson & Sean McKenna’s Gremlin coming in 2nd in Monhegan B. In Monhegan A, Doug Weisz’s Orange Whip won their first Monhegan, edging out Maine Maritime Academy’s Temptress by less than 11 minutes in corrected time. Both boats managed to catch Gary Weisberg’s Heat Wave, the line honors winner. Pat Dionne and Adam Moser on Chicama was the only Monhegan Double Handed finisher, placing 3rd in Monhegan B.
The Seguin fleet started in a nice building southerly breeze that powered them around the course in near record time. The leg out to the Pilot Buoy was tactical with racers crossing tacks all the way out to the rounding. With 28 boats sailing it was a great sight to see!
Ronnie Simpson’s Koloa Maoli sailed the course in 6 hours and 48 minutes, a mere 15 minutes slower than George Holt’s Oh Carol 2021 time of 6 hours and 33 minutes. Geoff Emanuel’s Tamarack edged out David Ruff’s Go Dog Go in Class A, while Bip Nixon’s High Energy led wire to wire in Class B, leading Soren Shroder’s Elixir. The Brewer’s Dilly Dilly, with an under 25 crew, managed to get past Christopher Lacasse’s Chaos Theory on the way back from Monhegan to win Class C for the second year in a row! In the Jib and Main division, Jim Palmer’s Morning Star continued their domination of this fleet with their 4th win in a row, 9th since 2011. Richard Hallett & Ashley Martin on Family Wagon edged out Ronnie Simpson & Sean Doyle on Koloa Maoli in the Seguin Double Handed race.
This race doesn’t happen without a team of volunteers, we had over 50 people helping on and off the water, and a dedicated committee of 8 who meet for 8 months to put this event together! Portland Yacht Club has an incredible staff who have gone above and beyond to make the sailors of Monhegan welcome and comfortable. Thank you so much for all the work that people put into this event!
We are also fortunate to be supported by our sponsors, with Sebago USA leading the way as our title sponsor. They came to the party and the Monhegan start and loved the camaraderie and spirit of this event. Wyman’s & Quantum Downeast have been a big part of the resurgence of the Monhegan fleet with their support over the past five years! We are sad to see Hallett Canvas & Sails close, not only does Richard sail in the race, they have been longtime supporters of this event! Richard will be enjoying his retirement out on the water with his family!
Regatta Merch and Afloat have been providing material support and are integral in making this event happen. Shipyard came on as our newest sponsor this year and crews really enjoyed their beer as they ate Pat’s Pizza while telling stories after the finish at the racer welcome. The custom Monhegan drinks served with Ice Pik vodka were a big hit at the party as the sailors enjoyed appetizers with Pineland Farms cheese. Sailors stayed hydrated with mainelove water that was enjoyed on and off the boat, and the cans were all recycled!
Want to relive the race - check out the results, replay the race on the tracker, and view the photos!
Have a Monhegan Memory to share - submit it here or email us! Send us your story and a photo or two if you have one and we will add it to our collection!
All of us at Portland Yacht Club thank everyone who has made this event possible! We look forward to seeing you all next year, July 30 to August 2, 2026 for the 95th Monhegan Island Race & Seguin Island Sprint!
