10th Penobscot river races set

For the first time in its 10-year history, the Penobscot River Boat Races will run on a Saturday this year.

Since the Fourth of July falls on a Sunday, race organizer Keith Lackedy moved the races ahead a day to avoid conflicts with traditional Fourth of July events.

Lackedy also wanted to avoid the traffic jam of boats along the Penobscot River loaded with people watching the fireworks.

“It will probably cut down on the number of people who register because a lot of people need Saturday as a travel day to get here,” Lackedy said. “But we’ll still have a lot of boats.”

The event has drawn racers from all over New England and New York in past years.

As of Thursday evening, 25 boats had been preregistered. The registration record for the Penobscot races is 101, set in 1990.

Races are held near the Hampden Marina on the Penobscot River.

Yet another race has been added to the already diverse event schedule this year. An inboard-outboard, full interior drag race has been added to bring the total number of race classes to 23.

The event features a wide variety of water craft including waverunners, Jet-Skis, hydroplanes, super-modified boats, and outboards.

Not only do entrants have to decide among the 23 racing classes, they also have the option of running three types of races: marathon, drag, or oval.

Entry fees range from $20 to $40. Admission for spectators is $2 per person or $5 for a carload of people.

Registrations and some of the first races will start at 9 a.m. Saturday. Races are expected to last until 3 p.m.