Every race in the 2024 Maine Lobster Boat Racing circuit has produced more entries than came to the starting line in 2023, even Bass Harbor that was hit with pouring rain and fog . But the July 14 races at Stonington topped them all when 112 boats signed up to race; that's 37 more boats than the 75 that raced a vear ago.

A lot of those boats were in the three races for Working Boats Under 24 feet bracket.

But there was no shortage of lobster boats in the gas and diesel powered 24 feet and up races. For example, Diesel Class F (336 to 435 hp, 34 feet to 39 feet 11 inches) had 12 boats line up at the starting line. The race was won by Winfred Alley's Faith Melle (Libby 34, 425-hp Cummins at 40 mph. A couple of races were divided into heats and then a final run-off was held.

A big incentive for showing up to race was the 25-foot fiberglass hull that was given away at the end of the day. Sign up to race, and your name went in a hat and at the end of the day a lucky racer had a new fiberglass hull that had been laid up at Eaton's Boat Shop & Fiberglassing in Deer Isle, Maine. (That's Jeff Eaton's shop, who races La Bell Vita.)

The lucky winner was Julian Spofford who raced his boat Wet Dream in Class A (Skiffs 16-feet and under with outboards up to 30 hp, Operator 16 years and younger). That's right, the new owner of a 25-foot fiberglass hull has been running a 16-foot skiff. Jon Johansen, president of Maine Lobster Boat Racing estimates the hull is worth $10,000 to $15,000. He says much of the cost to build the hull was covered by sponsors.

A good battle combined the single entries in two gasoline classes and pitted Shawn Alley's Little Girl (28' Calvin with what Johansen says is a 1,500-hp Chevy) against Mark Freeman's Foolish Pleasure (30' Custom Riley Beal, 800-hp 550 Chevy).

"It was a big one," said Johansen. It was also the first time Little Girl has raced this year. They both got first in theirrespective classes. Foolish Pleasure hit 52 mph and Little Girl 56 mph. While Little Girl won, it didn't race again that day because of coolant issues. "Little Girl, once it gets its horsepower harnessed it'll be something."

A race that Johansen describes as "interesting" was Diesel Class E (336 to 435 hp. 24 to 33 feet) that pitted Danny Eaton's Destiny (Crowley 28, 420-hp Yanmar) against Randy Durkee's Audrey May (Holland 32, 425-hp Cummins). "Destiny doesn't beat Audrey may that much. It's always close but Destiny got him this year." Destiny was clocked at 38 mph and Audry May 34 mph. They were followed by four other boats.