This weekend Im going to participate in the Casco Bay Circumnavigation Race. This is the first year that this race has been run by the GMORA (Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Association). This race popped up on one of my feeds that I follow about sailing and I knew right away that I would have to give it a try. The race is a self administered race meaning that you pick your start time and day as long as it falls within September. You are then on your own to run the course, and to record and report your times. I’ll be tracking my times and reporting with an Garmin InReach which I find an amazing piece of equipment for sailing and my other outdoors adventures.

The race goes counter clockwise around the majority of the islands in Casco Bay. It’s intended to give you a good look at the entire bay and to have you sneaking into some very shallow and narrow spots. There is one overnight allowed and it can come off your time. So thats an interesting twist. Once you anchor you record your time and once you pull anchor you start back up. They allow motors for safety and getting out of a sticky situation or avoiding shipping traffic. I think that makes a lot of sense. It’s a longish Race of about 72NM if you dont have to to Tack too much… but you know I will! Here is a map of the course that Im going to run. I’ll post pictures of the actual event and my times for each rounding of the islands once I finish. Wish me Luck!