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The rain and fog held off for the 2008 opening races in Boothbay Harbor. The Charlie Begin Memorial Races for the Boothbay Region, hosted by Clive Farrin, kicks off with a race for local boats - the first race of MLBRA’S 2008 season was won by Craig Barter’s WHISKEY GIRL. After Bruce Engert ran THUNDERBOLT down the course uncontested, JAZZMATTAZ(Andy Page) MISS ATTITUDE (Marshall Farnham) SHELLENE TOO (Fred Farnham) ALL OUT (Nick Page) OPTICAL ILLUSION (Nick Hawke) and SEA SWALLOW (Clive Farrin) crossed the race line, in that order, in the Diesel (up to 499 hp) race, followed by the 500 hp and up diesel event, won by Bill Hallinan’s APPARITION II, with 2nd and 3rd going to Dave Taylor’s MISTY and Dan Derepentigny’s OUTCAST II. The one Workboats under 24 ft event where there were several racers was Class D inboards, where DeBery’s SUPA GUPP ran first past the line before Alan Thibeau’s RESOLUTE and David Johnson’s MISS CASCO. CRY BABY won Gas Class A, running with Howard Carter’s NIFTY, while all other gas class races were run by one boat - Class B, won by Chris Smith’s NAMELESS, ran alone after Chris Barter’s WHISKEY GIRL did not start. Diesel Class C was won by Nick Wiberg’s MISS KATE crossing the line before Nick Page’s ALL OUT. Fred Preston’s GLADIATOR won Diesel Class E over Carl Anderson’s NO NAME. SEACOCK won Class G Diesel over Gary Genthner’s LISA MARIE. Travis Otis’ FIRST TEAM was victorious in Diesel Class H, with JAZZMATAZZ, OUTCAST II, STAR- LIGHT EXPRESS and ASKK’N following. Stevie Johnson’s WILD ONE came in before Chip Johnson’s THREE STARS and Dave Taylor’s MISTY, then the Class J race was on, between APPARITION II and David Haskell’s MOLLY RYAN, which was won by Bill Hallinan. Diesel Class K saw a win for Dennis Young, as he sailed ahead of Tom Clemons’ MOTIVATION. WHISTLIN DIXIE, MISS MADELYN, BAILEY & BELLA and WHAT”S LEFT battled it out for the Class N Diesel prize, claimed by Andy Johnson’s WHISTLIN DIXIE. FOOLISH PLEASURE overtook THUNDERBOLT and CRY BABY to win the Gas Free For All, then came the Diesel Free For All Contest, where Andy Johnson brought WHISTLIN DIXIE in before CHRISTINA & SETH, MOTIVATION, MISS MADELYN and STAR- LIGHT EXPRESS. MOTIVATION and CHRISTINA & SETH were second and third behind this fast boat from Beals....who do you think? Hate it or love it, when Galen Alley decides he’s going to do something, it seems to happen. In Boothbay, the radar gun was there, but FOOLISH PLEASURE’S official speed - recorded at a point after Alley had throttled down - was 53.9. While Alley’s GPS pegged peak speed at 61.6 - the radar picked him up at 53.9. That’s the sanctioned time recorded by the Boothbay committee, the tribe has spoken. Still, it must blow your mind to know how fast you were really going. In 2006, Ellery Alley described Ernest Libby, Jr.’s UNDERDOG as “Kind of a prototype” when he explained Libby’s use of ultra-light core material in the boat’s construction. When Libby built the one off hull FOOLISH PLEASURE, that first light boat he’d built a few winters back was behind him – so Galen’s re-named fiberglass version of LORNA R. could be viewed as a progression in Libby’s building process, where he’s pushed the idea further, to get the best results. Alley was shocked at how much less gasoline he needed, thanks to Ernest Libby Jr.’s hull and the work his own crew did, finishing the house with similar coring. - ultra-light materials are becoming more common for building certain work boats. This fiberglass version taken from the old wooden boat planes over the water (where his heavy wooden boat didn’t – wouldn’t – couldn’t) and when that boat planes you have to know that speed in order to make the thing fly. It’s 11 a.m. Do you know where your mechanic is? Channel 10 Is where you can monitor what’s happening on race day, but that signal doesn’t deliver when you’re in the woods surrounded by pine trees. Richard Weaver, Galen’s mechanic, is in the kitchen with a meat cleaver worn down to a thin crescent. “I only have one client.” THWACK - the blade cracks down on the body of a 2 lb. Lobster. Roughly around the time FOOLISH PLEASURE crossed the line to win the fastest lobster boat race in Boothbay, the Icecream Man From Hell was preparing a wholesome lunch ...
One thousand feet of visibility is what it takes before the Coast Guard will allow racing, so there was a wait. Class B inboards (18 yrs and under) was where the competition was for outboard workboats, and Richard Hildings took NOT MUCH past the pack. All gas class races were run alone, with no contenders in Gas Class E. The event was at O’Hara’s Journey’s End where Bob Liberty hosted the awards ceremony and a post-race party with live music. Dixon Smith and crew buzzed around in a fire-engine red motor boat, circa 1960, enjoying the fun without the pressure of competing. Lyle Morris’ KAYLA MARIE won Class B Diesel vs. Bill Oliver’s KAREN LYNN. Marc Pelletier steamed out to the race course on Chuck Williams’ MAJOR WEAKEYES, and was pulling on a life jacket as Williams sailed directly to the line, for theDiesel, Class C Race, taking second, to Eric DeDoe’s BUOYSTICKS, but sailing past Nick Wiberg’s MISS KATIE, Nick Page’s ALL OUT, Kevin Glover’s QUICKSTEP, THUNDER, and TWO GIRLS followed past the line. “What’s Galen Alley’s mechanic doing on a Vinalhaven boat, with a diesel (Steyr) engine?” - It left some wondering.. In Diesel Class E, David Wiberg’s SANDRA DEE won the event, coming in before Chris Hutchinson’d MINOR DEBT. For Diesel Class F, Bill Grant’s DOUBLE G bested Nick Hawkes’ OPTICAL ILLUSION. Todd Ritchie’s SEACOCK won Diesel Class G over Gary Genthner’s LISA MARIE and John Geyer’s THUNDERSTRUCK.
For Diesel Class K, Dennis Young’s CHRISTINA & SETH ran past MOTIVATION and Keith Simmons’ HEATHER & ISAAC. Diesel Class M went to Ryan Post’s INSTIGATOR, running past Clayton Walker’s SHE’S ALL WET, JAMIE LEE and PROVIDER. Diesel Class N was a victory for Andy Johnson’s WHISTLIN’ DIXIE, with Chris Young’s MISS MADELYN and WHAT’S LEFT seeing second and third place. The wooden boat race was won by Chris Page’s ABIGAIL & CARTER, coming in after Page were Gary Hatch’s QUEENS LADY and Vance Bunker’s SARI ANN. Walter Rich’s RICH RETURN fourth. Bruce THUNDERBOLT Engert ran the Gas Class C course alone, and won the Gas Free For All, over CRY BABY and FROSTY PUNKIN.” Andy Gove took the Diesel Free For All, over Andy Johnson’s WHISTLIN’ DIXIE, Robert Young’s CYNTHIA LYNN, Dennis Young’s CHRISTINA & SETH – in last was Tom Clemons’ MOTIVATION. UNCLE’S UFO was winner of the fastest Lobster Boat, competing against WHISTLIN’ DIXIE, CHRISTINA & SETH and CYNTHIA LYNN, who flew over the finish after Gove in that order. 61.6 - Sanctioned Time - “You can see what he means when Richard Weaver says “We’re gonna run (the boat) like we stole it and didn’t like it, because that’s what Galen did.,” said Marc Pelletier. At Rockland ,the water pump blew out on FOOLISH PLEASURE after Race 8 (Gas Class D) eliminating FOOLISH PLEASURE from the World’s Fastest and Gas Free For All events. Still, the Rockland Speed Record is now 61.6. |
