Freeport’s Kristin Brit Peterson sailed a strong race in her first Stone Horse Builder’s Cup, a prestigious regatta held Aug. 15 event on Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts.

Peterson was the skipper of her boat, Blue Jay, finishing fifth out of six competitors, in 1 hour, 34 minutes, 52 seconds. The race was 5 nautical miles, and the boats finished within a 15-minute spread of each other – all under two hours.

Peterson’s crew included her husband, Bobby Foye, son, Gordie Foye, 9, and Castine boat builder Drew Scott.

The Stone Horse Builder’s Cup took place off Padanaram, Mass. New Bedford Yacht Club served as the host site and port. The winner took home a scale half model of a Stone Horse boat, made by a man who spent most of his career building Stone Horses in Mattapoisett Mass., where 150 of these Sam Crocker-designed boats were built by Edey & Duff.

Peterson, 45, lives in Freeport with her husband and son. She moved back to Maine after attending college. Since 1996, Peterson has served as the marina/waterfront manager at Brewer South Freeport Marine.

“I grew up aboard a sailboat, living between Maine and the Bahamas, and at every naval port in between,” Peterson said. “My father was an officer in the Navy. My parents decided to raise me and my younger sister aboard, so they could realize their dream of having a larger boat. In so doing, they inadvertently provided us with a sense of place, even while we moved a lot.

“The boat was always home as we traveled from port to port, every year or two, for 13 years, according to my father’s military assignments. My father was stationed in Brunswick in 1980, that’s what brought us to Maine the first time. Our final assignment was Andros Island, Bahamas. When I started high school we moved ashore, and back to Maine. I guess you could say I’m from Maine, because this is the only place I’ve ever lived for more than a year or two, but I was born in Rhode Island, so technically I’m from the Ocean State.”

Peterson answered questions regarding the Stone Horse Builder’s Cup and her love of sailing for the Tri-Town Weekly.

Q: Does your participation in the Stone Horse Builder’s Cup represent the highlight thus far in your experience sailing?

A: My parents’ first boat was hull No. 016 for Edey & Duff. We had that boat (Kristin Brit) for three years and then sold it in order to buy the boat we moved aboard when I was 3, a 50-foot gaff-rigged ketch. Two years ago, we bought SH016 back, after finding and tracking it for 15 years. That’s when I joined the SH Owner’s Group, just as my husband and I entered the early stages of restoring our boat. This year I was invited to race in the SH Builder’s Cup aboard Blue Jay, a Stone Horse belonging to a fellow owner who could not attend this year’s race. It was a generous offer that we couldn’t refuse. It was definitely a sailing highlight for me, for all of us. They’re such wonderful, classic boats. And it was quite a thrill to see so many Stone Horses together with their trademark tanbark sails. We also enjoyed the opportunity to sail with a fellow Mainer and Stone Horse owner who filled out our crew for the race. It definitely inspired our own restoration effort and helped my family get a taste of what we’re working toward.

Q: What’s special about the event?

A: The Stone Horse Builder’s Cup event is special because it brings Stone Horse owners together for friendly competition and camaraderie. The boats are well loved and the community of owners is tight knit and seemingly like-minded.

Q: Who is responsible for what on the crew? What is a good speed?

A: The crew consists of a skipper, a sail trimmer, and tactician/navigator. Three is ideal, but there’s room for four. With a stiff breeze, more weight can be helpful in flattening the boat. The boats average about 5-plus knots in a 10-15 knot breeze. A Stone Horse can do 6.0-6.5 knots when all goes well, although a good speed is 5.5.

Q: Where do you most often sail, and what do you like about that particular area? What are the best sailing conditions?

A: I do most of my boating in Maine, and look forward to doing more sailing again, once our Stone Horse is restored and back in the water, hopefully next year. I love Casco Bay. It’s an amazing back yard. And I consider Penobscot Bay a treat! Thanks to the Builder’s Cup, Buzzards Bay was this year’s treat. A steady breeze, clean water, islands to explore, and fun destination ports will always keep me coming back for more. I love being outside, on the water, and with friends and family. I also love the quiet of sailing, hearing nothing but the wind, water, and action of the rig and rigging.

Photo courtesy of Barbara Veneri