Hundreds gather for the 30th Lobster Boat Race in Harpswell

Spectators watch the boat races from the shore in Harpswell. Maria Skillings / Times Record

Harpswell hosted its 30th Lobster Boat Race on Sunday, drawing hundreds of viewers by land and sea to cheer on and celebrate their fishing and lobstering community.

Kaitlyn St. Amand of Stover’s Cove said this year was her third time attending the boat races. “It’s nice to see everyone from town come out and enjoy themselves,” she said.

Dustin Balciar and Kaitlyn St. Amand set on the rocks at Mitchell Field to watch the races. Maria Skillings / Times Record

Looking out over Casco Bay, spectators could see wave runners and remote-control boats weaving around racers, revving their engines. With the races at least a mile offshore, spectators used binoculars and drones to get a closer view of the competition. Parking lots at Mitchell Field were packed with hundreds of cars from all over the country.

The event featured 29 different races, breaking up into heats four or five boats at a time, based on the size and horsepower of the vessel. Each racer fought for small cash prizes.

Volunteer Mary Coombs said the races are a chance for the lobstermen to take a break from the stress of newly implemented government regulations.

Last August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration established new rules to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Lobstermen are now required to string more traps on a single rope and use weaker ropes that could allow entangled whales to break free.

The administration also closed off over 950 square miles of the Gulf of Maine to traditional lobstering from October to January — New England’s most lucrative lobstering season.

“It’s nice to see one day where they aren’t worried about whales, or lines and they just go,” said Coombs. “It’s fun to see them not in their oil gear, but in their bare feet behind the wheel.”

Lobsterman Heather Thompson of Harrington agreed with Coombs.

“It gives you a chance to get away from the everyday grind of lobstering,” she said.

In addition to a day of competition, volunteers got together to sell their annual lobster boat race T-shirts for the Harpswell Santa Fund. The fund was started by a group of lobstermen in 1991 to help raise money for local families in need during the holiday season.

Coombs said they raised $17,000 at last year’s races.

Only an hour into this year’s event, volunteer Devon Soloniewicz said they were almost sold out of merchandise.