PORTLAND, Maine, April 2, 2009 — Maine’s sailing regatta season will get off to an early start on Saturday, June 6, when sailboats will race on courses outside Portland Harbor to raise funds for SailMaine, a local community sailing program. The Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Association is teaming up with SailMaine to host the event, which will provide a wide range of benefits for SailMaine, its students, and the skippers and crews of the racing boats that participate.

The regatta will be an opportunity for current Gulf of Maine racers to make connections with new sailors and potential crew members, and will give SailMaine students the chance to experience the thrill of racing on larger boats.

“Our students learned on smaller boats and sailing dinghies, and some have been looking for an opportunity to move into bigger boats,” says Sarah Helming, director of SailMaine’s High School and Junior Program. “At the same time, Gulf of Maine skippers and crews are anxious to clean out the cobwebs that developed during their long off-season, and some may be looking to add people to their crew list. This regatta will bring everyone together.”

Each racing boat will be assigned a certain number of SailMaine students who are new to Gulf of Maine racing. Sail Maine coaches will evaluate the experience, skill level, and aspirations of students and match them with the appropriate racing yachts. Some of the students are from SailMaine’s junior and high school programs; others may be participants in the organization’s Adult Sailing program.

Funds for SailMaine will be raised through entry fees, sales of sailing apparel and other items, and a benefit dinner and party following the race.

The post-race festivities will be open to the public, but advance reservations are recommended. People interested in dinner tickets should contact event chairman Sarah Helming at SailMaine: sarah@sailmaine.org or 650-2085.

Sail Maine is a non-for-profit, community program that offers sailing instruction to youth and adults, promoting the values of leadership, self-reliance, sportsmanship, and respect for the environment. SailMaine’s web site is www.sailmaine.org.
The Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Association is a not-for-profit, charitable corporation formed to act as an amateur athletic organization to promote yacht racing, including international yacht racing in the ocean waters of the Gulf of Maine. GMORA maintains a web site at www.gmora.org.