Want to Be a Guest Judge During The Maine Lobster Races?

Let me tell you: one of the most thrilling events of the summer are the Maine Lobster Boat Races held up and down the coast--that is, if happen to be watching from the vantage point of  the lobster boats themselves. See my post on what a day in that life is like. But if you don't have lobstering friends who can invite you aboard, here's another way--to be a judge on a Coast Guard Boat.

story and photo courtesy of Village Soup's The Herald Gazette

Maine Lobster Boat Racing is sharing the excitement of lobster boat racing with their fans by raffling the experience to be a race judge. The winning judge will be on the Coast Guard boat at the finish line of the races in Searsport on July 9.

The winning judge will be awarded an "Officials T-Shirt" and certificate from Maine Lobster Boat Racing, admission for a family to Penobscot Marine Museum, lodging at the Carriage Inn of Searsport, and dinner at Ocean’s Edge Restaurant in Belfast. The drawing will take place Saturday, April 30, at 2 p.m. at the seasonal opening of Maine Coast Welcome Center on Route 1 in Belfast.

Enter the drawing online at Maine-Coast-Welcome-Center.com/LobsterBoatRaceContest.html.

Last year, Travis Otis of Maine Lobster Racing offered Patti and Jim LeClair of the Maine Coast Welcome Center the opportunity to be guest judges at a lobster boat race. Otis took the LeClairs out to the Coast Guard boat at the finish line, where they judged the outcome by watching closely as the lobster boats raced by — some in excess of 60 mph.

The race is great time and the camaraderie of this industry was fascinating, said the LeClairs. During the week, lobstermen compete for lobsters, and on weekends they race together.

This year, Otis came up with the idea of sharing the experience with fans and the first Maine Lobster Boat Racing Contest was born. The contest is designed to share with summer visitors the 10 coastal Maine towns that celebrate the heritage of Maine lobstering.