Sunny, warm weather made a perfect atmosphere for dozens of captains and crew and hundreds of spectators at the 24th annual Merritt Brackett lobster boat races Aug. 15.
Spider, a New Harbor native, captained Hellblazzer to second place in the diesel 176-210 horsepower class. Spider has competed in the races “almost from the start,” he said. At one point, he said, in a different boat and a different class (six-cylinder gasoline), “I raced every year and won eight years in a row,” he said.
“Everything seemed to go really smooth” this year, Spider said. “Donnie [Drisko] and Laurie [Crane] do a hell of a job running this now.”
“The only bad thing is, I wish I won,” Spider lamented.
Galen Alley, captain and owner of Foolish Pleasure, won three prizes – first place in the gas V8, 500 cubic inches and up, 24 feet and up division, first place in the gas free-for-all and the coveted “fastest boat afloat” for his record speed of 68.9 miles per hour.
Alley, the owner of Great Wass Lobster Company in Beals Island, broke the previous record – his own – of 68.1 miles per hour. Alley isn’t satisfied, however. “I’ve been going for 70 [mph] all season,” he said while accepting the “fastest boat afloat” trophy. “We’re not going to stop until we get there.”
In an interview after the trophies ceremony, Alley expressed confidence in his ability to meet his goal, as well as a little skepticism about the scorekeeping. “That last run, the radar gun was up above me,” he said. “We was doing over 70 that last run, there’s no doubt in my mind.”
Alley received some consolation in his prizes. “I got the $1000,” he said. “That’s what I wanted.”
Alley travels to races all over the state – as long as the prize pool is well stocked. Winter Harbor held their annual race yesterday, he said, but “Winter Harbor doesn’t give any prizes… maybe next year they’ll kick out some prizes and then we’ll be there.”
This season, Foolish Pleasure will compete twice more, in Eastport and Portland. Alley issued a challenge to prospective opponents, calling Foolish Pleasure the “world’s fastest” lobster boat. “Foolish Pleasure has the record,” he said. “Come and get it.”
Dana Russell, owner and captain of the Knot Again, won first place in the 24 feet and up NOVI class and second place in the 175 horsepower and under, 24 feet and up diesel class.
“It’s quite awesome,” Russell said. In addition to his trophies, Russell collected $350 in prize money.
Enthusiastic about his winnings, Russell nonetheless offered a bleak outlook on the state of the industry. “Lobstering sucks,” Russell said. “I make more money racing than I do fishing.”
“The price of most commodities has gone up,” Russell explained. “Lobster hasn’t.”
Gary Clifford, of Bristol, made a comeback after losing his previous boat, the Destine, in a fire last year. Clifford finished second in the diesel, 211-250 horsepower, 24 feet and up division in his new ride, the Hard to Fathom.
Clifford said this was his 16th year in the Merritt Brackett races, and his hometown still puts on the oddball sport’s premier event. “I’ve been in four different races and this is the best one,” he said. “It’s run well and they got the best prizes of any I’ve been to.”
Travis Otis, of Searsport, won the diesel 251-450 horsepower, 36 feet and up class in First Team.
Otis named his boat in honor of the division his father served with in Vietnam. “He was in the 1st Cavalry Division, which is known as the First Team,” Otis said.
Otis, like Allen, travels around the state to find his fill of competition. “I think we’ve been doing this for over ten years,” he said. This year, he’s only missed two races in the state. Bristol’s event “is probably the funnest,” he said.
Laurie Crane and Donnie Drisko are the event’s lead organizers. “I’ve had many a person say we offer the best prizes along the coast of Maine,” Drisko said.
The competition is plentiful, Drisko said, but so are the rewards. “You can come in dead last and you’re liable to walk out of here with a $100 bill in your pocket,” he said.
