The Piscataqua Sailing Association hosts weekly races in Portsmouth Harbor, inviting sailors of all backgrounds and experience levels to take to the sea.

The sun was shining high in the summer sky as a light breeze swept across the ocean’s chilly waters on Aug. 7. An air horn echoed across Portsmouth Harbor, signaling the start of the three-mile race. It was time to sail.

The Kuivato, captained by Kittery resident Tim Stone, tried to make its way around other competitors as it headed out to the first marker. The crew members quickly took their positions and began tightening the ropes to secure the sail, as Stone directed his boat over the unbalancing waves. The winds were blowing at 15 knots, pushing the 38-foot cruising-class boat farther out to sea.

The race was part of the Piscataqua Sailing Association’s summer race series. The series features four different classes: J24, Racing, Cruising, and Laser. The J24 class races on Thursday nights, while the Racing and Cruising classes compete at the same time on Tuesday nights. The Laser class competes on Wednesday nights around Rye Harbor.

“It’s organized so that the racing class starts before the cruising class, so that they don’t cross each other during the race,” said Stone.

The first yellow marker bobbed vigorously in the distance, looking like a mere speck rather than a large inflatable buoy. As the boat pushed over the waves, crew members warned the captain of upcoming lobster trap buoys, making sure the lines didn’t get tangled up in the rudders—something that could take the boat out of the race.

Not far behind Kuivato was another cruising class boat, Figment, captained by fellow Kittery resident Eric Reuter.

Reuter grew up sailing small boats and eventually joined a team that was part of the Piscataqua Sailing Association. After getting hooked, he began racing as a crew member for Stone’s boat. Racing is the best way to learn how to sail, he said.

After a few years, Reuter decided he wanted to take the next big step in the sailing world.

“You get to the point where, to really learn it, you have to be the captain,” he said.

Reuter now owns a 30-foot cruising class boat. He participates in about 20 to 25 races a season, including Tuesday nights and some weekend races.

The most stressful part of competitive sailing is the beginning of the race, he said, because all the boats are trying to go at the same time. Once they cross the starting line, however, they begin to spread out and create more room for the boats to maneuver. There is a lot of tactical decision making that goes on throughout the course in order to finish with the fastest time.

As the boats started rounding the second marker on Aug. 7, the space between competitors grew. Stone’s crew once again took formation and prepared to move the sail to the other side of the boat, so it could make a swift turn. They held some ropes tightly, while loosening others to allow the sail to move. Suddenly the sail whisked across the boat in one fluid motion. It tightened up when the wind hit it just right.

Stone’s crew was comprised of people from a variety of backgrounds. Some members were new to the sailing world, while others already had experience on the water. While Stone likes to have an experienced crew, he always welcomes newcomers.

“You are out there to have fun and compete, but mostly to have fun,” said Stone. “I enjoy exposing new people to sailing. But as a skipper, you have to understand the limitations that are onboard.”

Stone prefers the cruising class to the racing class because it is easier and more laidback, he said. The more competitive racing class requires more crewmembers and a better understanding of how the sails work. Racing class boats have a spinnaker, a special sail that pushes out beyond the front of the boat and helps it maintain a better flow with the wind, which generally moves the boat faster.

Stone said people can get involved in sailing for relatively little money and still be competitive.

“Very competitive cruising class boats (can be) purchased for as little as $2,000 to $6,000,” said Stone. “Used boat prices can be very low.”

By the final stretch of the race, the wind had died down considerably and the sun was setting over the horizon, reflecting off the water and creating a purple hue. Kuivato tacked back and forth among the lobster traps. Stone and his crew sat waiting, hoping for a gust of wind to take the boat across the finish line. Their competition, Figment, was waiting for the same chance.

As the sun grew dimmer and some boats began dropping out, the wind picked up and the race was back on. The wind pushed the smaller Figment ahead of the Kuivato and Reuter’s boat finished first. The air horn blasted across the sea, first for Figment, then Kuivato, as they crossed the finish line.

“I think it’s exciting out there,” said Stone. “It’s always different. The wind speed, sea current, weather, it’s always different.”

The results of Tuesday night races are calculated using the performance handicap racing fleet system, which allows different-sized boats to compete in the same race. The actual finishing times are adjusted after every boat has crossed the line, reflecting the skill of the crew instead of the boat’s size and equipment. A boat that crosses the finish line in second or third place could actually wind up winning.

The Piscataqua Sailing Association hosts about 55 races per year, according to Jim McCarthy, commodore of the association. The races start the last week of May and run through the second week of September. After the summer series ends, there is a break until the winter races.
Spectators can check out the Double-Handed Regatta between Portsmouth and the Isles of Shoals on Saturday, Aug. 18.

“We are trying to provide a venue and organization that puts together quality racing on a regular basis,” McCarthy said. “People can go out and have a chance to race and have quality racing available to them.”