For the past two years sailors have had the chance to race for a good cause and win some impressive hardware in the Hospice Regatta of Maine.

When racers cross the finish line off Southwest Harbor at the completion of the event’s third edition on Saturday, one lucky crew will have an added honor.

“[For the first time] we’re going to have a national championship of all the [16] hospice regattas,” chairman Jim Fernald said. “And we’ll be sending a team to Annapolis, Md., in April of 2000 to represent Maine.”

The event, which has typically attracted more than 40 racer- and cruiser-class sailboats to the stretch of water known as Great Harbor, will begin at 12:30 p.m.

The Hospice Regatta of Maine serves as a major fund-raiser for three major hospice groups in eastern Maine: Hospice of Hancock County, Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County, and Hospice of St. Joseph in Bangor.

But for many, the regatta doesn’t represent an opportunity to race; it’s a chance to spend the day as spectators on one of several donated yachts off the coast of Mount Desert Island. It’s a perk that comes with their “inclusive “There’s no more beautiful place off the Maine coast to go sailing, let alone racing,” Fernald said.

Fernald said last year’s regatta raised more than $25,000, primarily in the form of sponsorships. He expects this year’s event to top $30,000.

While much of the early action will occur on the water, that doesn’t mean landlubbers will have to miss out on all of the excitement.

The day’s events will conclude with a lobster bake and awards ceremony at the Dysart’s Great Harbor Marina in Southwest Harbor. A steel drum band will provide entertainment.

Fernald is excited about giving one lucky crew the chance to compete in Annapolis. He said the crew chosen would be picked based on a variety of criteria.

“It’s going to be based on years of participation in our regatta,” he said. “If they’ve won any of the race [that will be counted], and of course [we’ll consider] good ‘ol sportsmanlike conduct. We don’ Bligh down there.”

Fernald said there’s a natural symbolic link between hospice care and sailing – a yacht’s crew, for instance, must meet the challenge of a different and difficult course; a terminally ill patient and his family also face unknowns as they navigate their journey.

Fernald said the event has been immensely popular with sponsors because people are becoming more familiar with the services supplied by hospice groups.

“[One way] we’ve made so much money is when we go out and fund-raise for hospice, if they know or if they’ve had hospice care, they automatically say, `How much can I give you?’ ” Fernald said.