Sailors gathered on Saturday, July 18 for the Newfound Lake Region Association’s annual Around the Lake Sailing Race. Five boats took off from Grey Rocks Conservation Area at 1:30pm and made a stunningly colorful spectacle as they made their way around Newfound Lake. “Sailing is one of the most amazing ways to get around the lake. It’s peaceful but fast and doesn’t impact the lake with fossil fuels or a big wake,” says Andrew Veilleux, NLRA’s program manager and the organizer of the annual race.
Even sailboats, however, can potentially introduce invasive species into the lake, and it’s important all boaters remember to clean, drain, and dry their boats and trailers. Invasive species like variable milfoil and the Chinese mystery snail can hitch a ride on boats, boat trailers, and ballast tanks when they go from one water body to another. NLRA’s volunteer Weed Watchers and Lake Hosts monitor Newfound Lake for invasive species and offer courtesy boat inspections to boaters. So far, Newfound Lake remains free of all invasive aquatic species, and Saturday’s race participants took care to keep it that way.
Scott Wilkas, who has been sailing for many years on Newfound, quickly pulled into the lead, with the flashy pink and white sail of Martin Kimbell’s Hobie 18 just behind. Kimbell eventually took the lead and reached the finish line with a time of 1 hour and 29 minutes to be this year’s first place finisher. Wilkas took second place with a time of 1 hour and 46 minutes, followed by Tripp Blair, the only boat that wasn’t a catamaran, with a time of 2 hours and 44 minutes.
Anyone interested in sailing on Newfound should consider joining the Newfound Lake Sailing Club (Find them on Facebook) or contact Andrew Veilleux at andrew@newfoundlake.org. You can learn more about boating on Newfound Lake and how to protect the Lake from invasive species, shoreline erosion, and other threats by visiting the NLRA website www.newfoundlake.org/boating.