May 31, 2019 - Here's a final reminder that the early registration discount ends at midnight tonight for the Camden Classics Cup/Dolphin 24 New England Championships, July 25/27, Camden, Maine - 64 boats including 3 Dolphin 24s have registered so far. Click here for the updated scratch sheet. Click here for the Registration page.

********************

June 23, 2019 - Update from the organizers - 74 boats entered! (3 Dolphins - Marionette, Maya Elena and DOLPHIN - need one more for our own class).

Click here for the updated scratch sheet. Click here for the Registration page. Click here for Camden Community Events going on preceding/during the Classic Cup

****************************

June 29, 2019 Just in from the regatta organizers - an Insider's Tips Guide for Dolphin 'stay on shore' crews and others (minor webmaster edits) We know what Camden is like during this regatta - this gives some idea to those who haven't been there. We'll start with what's going on earlier in the week.

Tuesday, July 23 - 7 p.m. A Passage to Antigua with Bob Osborn, Camden Yacht Club; 7 p.m. "Lobster War" Screening, Camden Public Library

Wednesday, July 24 - 3 p.m. Guided Garden Tours: Avena Botanicals, Rockport; 6 p.m. Camden Shakespeare Festival: The Taming of The Shrew, Camden Amphitheatre:7 p.m. Designing a Spirit of Tradition Yacht with Bob Stephens, Camden Yacht Club; 7 p.m. CIFF Selects at the Camden Opera House. Award-winning documentaries;

Thursday, July 25 6 p.m. Camden Shakespeare Festival: The Taming of The Shrew, Camden Amphitheatre: 7:30 p.m. Bay Chamber Concerts - La Belle Epoque, Rockport Opera House;

​Friday, July 26 11 a.m. Grown Up Reading Hour, Camden Public Library; 12-4 p.m. CAMDEN CLASSICS CUP RACING Drive or Hike to the top of Mt. Battie for viewing! 3-7 p.m. Come chill at Lyman-Morse at Wayfarer. Music by DJ Rusty Barnard. Be there to welcome the fleet back; 4 p.m. Walking Tour of Camden, Camden Public Library; 6 p.m. Camden Shakespeare Festival: The Taming of The Shrew, Camden Amphitheatre; 8:30 p.m. Bay Chamber Concerts -Tales Transformed, Union Hall, Rockport

Insider's Guide to the Camden Classics Cup - for the 'Stay on Shore' Crew

Dan Bookman is the head of Community Events for the Camden Classics regatta. "We see this event as a kind of shop window that shows off the rest of the mid-coast community to the yachting world, ” says Bookham. “But we also see the event, as a shop window for the community to see the value of sailboat racing and yachting in general.

"Dan Bookham knows better than anyone that it takes a village to host the Camden Classics Cup. Bookham is the Vice President for Business Development at Allen Insurance and Financial, the integrated risk- and money-management firm with offices in Camden. He ’s also the head of Community Events for the Camden Classics regatta. “We see this event as a kind of shop window that shows off the rest of the mid-coast community to the yachting world, ” says Bookham, who also serves on the board the beneficiary of the Camden Classics Cup, Lifeflight of Maine. LifeFlight provides lifesaving and critical care transport to remote areas via small aircraft.

“But we also see the event as a shop window for the community to see the value of sailboat racing and yachting in general, ” he says.In his dual roles, Bookham pulls together a calendar of events happening in the Camden area: There’s the nightly Camden Shakespeare Festival in Harbor Park and the Bay Chamber Concerts series in Rockport, usually on Thursdays; there will be more than 70 boats racing, and a fireworks display on Saturday night at 8:45. In fact, there ’s so much going on, that we felt Bookham deserved his own moment to give his insider ’s picks on the must-do things to do at this year ’s Camden Classics Cup.

Take it away, Dan.

Camden Classics Cup Tips -

Take in Friday’s Racing from Atop Mt. Battie - What makes Camden so unique, says Bookham, is how the Camden Hills meet the ocean at Penobscot Bay. For him, Mt Battie, in Camden Hills State Park, is the perfect one-of-a-kind ringside seat for the regatta. One can easily drive, bike, hike — or even rollerblade — up to Mt. Battie’s 800-foot summit. Bookham says hit the Grab & Go section at top-flight grocer French & Brawn, or order take-out from the Camden Deli, or maybe pick out the best gourmet cheeses and a bottle of wine from Lilly, Lupine & Fern.Then head up, spread out, and nosh while taking in some classic and Spirit-of-Tradition racing.

Racing runs from 12 to 4PM, rain or shine, on Friday July 26th and Saturday the 27th. History buffs: Take the fabulous guided walking tour of the Camden Public Library on Friday, July 26th at 4PM. Be sure they show you the high-quality diorama of the harbor from the 1920 ’s. It’s the perfect to-scale slice of Camden history.

Never Leave Camden Harborside on Saturday July 27th. Bookham says that event organizers worked tirelessly to make Camden Harbor the place to be on the Saturday of the regatta. So much is happening, that a flight plan is required to make the most of this glorious Saturday day of racing in Maine.

9 AM: Hit the Public Landing for “All Comers Row and Paddle Races:” Even if you can’t score a boat — or beg your way onto somebody else’s — this fun paddle and row is the best way to kick off this major day of racing. Contact Harbor Master, Steve Pixley. Registration starts at 8:30. One will be surprised as to what qualifies as a “paddleboat.”

10 AM: Pick Your Spot Harborside for the Parade of Sail: Camden might be the glamorous ground zero for mid-coast yachting, but Bookham says, there ’s no shortage of public spaces along the shore and harbor wharfs to take in the Parade of Sail. Bookham and Pixley will be commentating the Parade from the Public Landing with histories of the boats racing. Lyman-Morse has the most uninterrupted viewing spaces so come on over to gawk at the more than 70 one-of-kind vessels parading by

11 AM: Gander at the Classic Cars at Lyman-Morse at Wayfarer Marine. With the classic boats out of the way, next comes the extraordinary collection of the Mid-Maine Sports Car Club ’s Jaguars, Bugattis, and MGs. All these vehicles and more will be displayed, throughout the day. James Bond could do no better.

12 PM: Grab the Fish Taco at the Rhumb Line. Obviously, the Rhumb Line restaurant serves other great food like clam chowder and an excellent raw bar. But it is the fish taco that you want for a race-day lunch.

1 PM: Explore the Local Art Scene on Bay View Street and Harbor Park: You will need some exercise after your lunch, so stretch your legs with a nice walk around Harbor Park and Bay View Street. The local architecture and galleries are all steeped in serious history.2:30 PM: Follow the Fleet in with some Free Music. The most-excellent DJ Vice will be “spinning” tunes from Lyman-Morse at Wayfarer Marine, out across the harbor. Head over to hang and schmooze.

6:00 PM: With the racers having their post race party at Camden YC others can pick a Food Fight – And a Dinner Spot – On MidCoast Maine Mouthstuffers. Camdeners, says Bookham, are kind and loving, except when dinner comes up. Then, it ’s some serious tough love on the Midcoast Mouth Stuffers page on Facebook. This is the place to pick a dining spot and to get the dirt on what ’s good, bad, and ugly in the food scene in Camden. You can also check out what the NYTimes recommends from the recent 36 Hours expose.

8:45PM Top the day off with the Regatta ending Fireworks over Curtis Island. The neat part is, one can be anywhere in town and still be blown away by the pyrotechnics in the night sky.

Stay Tuned

*************************************