Sunday July 20 was race number 6 in Maine's 2025 lobster boat racing season. At the Friendship town landing on Sunday, 37 boats tied up to register to race, which started at 10 a.m. and ran out of Friendship Harbor. That was two boats fewer than in 2024, which was probably due to lousy weather projections of showers and thunderstorms.
The Friendship races were preceded on Saturday by several events, including a 5-mile road race, watermelon eating contest, horse and carriage rides, bake sale and a chicken BBQ dinner. In anticipation of the coming races, Friendship locals were told: "Don't forget to be stylish for the races." Though exactly what "stylish" meant was not clear.
What was notable about the Friendship races is that relatively few local lobster boats were racing. "The harbor's full of what, 200 boats and maybe we get five of them to race," said Jon Johansen, scorer for Maine's lobster boat racing. He says a lot of local fisherman "don't like racing boats from away because they know they are all hopped up."
As with previous races, few skiffs showed up to run - one to be exact — and only two gasoline powered workboats competed. The gasoline powered boats were Foolish Pleasure (30-foot Custom Riley Beal, 800-hp 550 Chevy) and Brown Eyed Girl (Duffy 26, 454-hp Chevy). The only skiff was Blake Feltis’ Skid Mark (12' Carolina Skiff, 30-hp Yamaha) that ran unopposed in the first race.
As might be expected, this being a Maine lobster boat race, several races had winning speeds over 40 mph, seven to be exact, with two winning speeds just above 50 mph. That would be Foolish Pleasure (30' Custom Riley Beal 800-hp 550 Chevy) winning the Gasoline Free For All at 50.1 mph and the Fastest Lobster Boat Race at 51.8 mph.
Johansen said two races were "outstanding." They were Diesel Class E (336 to 435hp, 24 to 33 feet) and Diesel Class | (551 to 700 hp, 28 to 33 feet). In Diesel Class E, Mason Vintinner's Amy Kathren (Osmond 29, 350-hp Cummins) almost beat Randy Durkee's Audrey May (Holland 32, 425-hp Cummins). In Diesel Class I, Chris Smith’s Misty (Crowley Beal 33, 650-hp Scania) beat Gary Genthner’s Lil’ Lisa Marie (Mussel Ridge 28, 600-hp FPT) at 41.9 mph. “Both races were real close. It was by half a boat length or less,” says Johansen.
In another good race, Diesel Class N (A); 40 feet and over, 751 to 1,000 hp, Natalie E (Libby 41, 1,000-hp FP) hit 45.2 mph to beat Obsession (Young Brothers 40 1,000-hp Caterpillar) by a couple of boat lengths. "It's who gets the start," says Johansen. "That's what it all boils down to. The key is trying to time it, just like in drag racing, so you have the turbo open when the flag drops."
Winner of the Fastest Friendship Lobster Boat Race was Frank Guptill's Taylor Nicole (Calvin Beal 44, 1,000-hp Cat) at 29.3 mph, beating Myron Wotton's Sinister (Holland 38, 500-hp Cat) and Richard Curtis' Harvest Moon (RP 40, 500-hp Hyundai).
