Wizard Sailing in Race

Wizard Wins 72nd Maine Retired Skippers Race

“That’s a good sign,” Captain Will McLean said as he surveyed the horizon, “the clouds are coming.” As McLean set the buoy for the 72nd annual Maine Retired Skippers Race on Saturday, August 15, 2026, the water was a green, glassy calm.

Above, the sky was bright blue, but small, puffy clouds were approaching from over land west of Penobscot Bay. Shortly before the scheduled 1:00 p.m. start time, McLean called for a 30-minute delay.

Race participants scattered and maneuvered in search of weak puffs of wind. Among them was Wizard, a 1930 Herreshoff Fisher Island 31.

Last year, Wizard won the prestigious Eggemoggin Reach Regatta, the largest wooden boat race in the world. Wizard, under the direction of tactician Delaney Conlogue, took a unique route. The crew waited patiently as the rest of the field capitalized on the early wind in another direction, leaving Wizard behind.

Eventually, the wind Conlogue had predicted arrived, and “Wizard had her own breeze all to herself,” said sailing coach Pat DiLalla. Wizard passed the entire field into first place, winning the plank on frame division.
Aboard Wizard for the Retired Skippers Race were President Craig Johnson and his wife Sharon Symour-Johnson, Linda and Andy Viens, Jason and Andrea Van Inwegin, and skipper, Jonathan Ogle.

By 1:15, a small breeze had started that picked up steadily as the 1:30 start time approached. “Here it is,” McLean said, “I hope it stays.” Indeed, the wind would make for outstanding racing conditions over the 12-mile course.

The smallest boat in the field and first to start, Eyes of Fire, got off to an early lead over the first leg as the single-handed skipper. Unlike the path toward the first buoy, the field took disparate courses upwind toward the second. Eyes of Fire took a course closer to Islesboro than the rest of the field while Wizard was able to find more favorable conditions in deeper water.

Eyes of Fire maintained her lead going into the final leg of the 12-mile course. That lead would evaporate quickly as Wizard found her ideal wind.

Wizard crossed the line well ahead of second place Eyes of Fire, who raced superbly. It was the third win in four years for Wizard. “Thanks to great driving by Jonathan Ogle, we were able to make the right moves on the racecourse and put Wizard in the right position to win,” said President Johnson.

“The 73rd Maine Retired Skippers Race was a perfect day for sailing on Penobscot Bay,” said Captain McLean. “The light wind conditions changed into our classic SSW afternoon sea breeze to make for an exciting race for the competitors. It was a close finish for 3rd with three boats finishing within several seconds of each other.”

Post Comment

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest

Comments are moderated and will be reviewed prior to posting online. Please be aware that when you submit a comment, you agree to the following rules:

  • Be respectful and considerate of others in your tone and content.
  • Use your own words and communicate clearly and concisely.
  • Do not use abusive language, obscenities, or otherwise objectionable content under any circumstances.
  • Do not impersonate or make false statements about someone else.
  • Do not use commenting to advertise, campaign or recruit.
  • Feel free to use your real name, but please do not post other personal or private information.

Maine Maritime Academy reserves the right to delete any comment that does not comply with these guidelines and is not responsible or liable in any way for comments posted by its users. If you have a message for the editor, please email mariner@mma.edu.