If there’s a birthplace for Maine lobster boat racing, it’s probably Moosabec Reach, a stretch of water between the mainland and Beals Island about 35 miles southwest of the Canadian border.
Racing seems to have always been part of a lobsterman’s DNA in this part of coastal Maine. A story goes that at one time if a lobsterman heading out to haul his traps came up to another lobster boat also underway, he would hold out a piece of rope and shake it, challenging the other lobsterman. Shaking the rope meant, “Let’s race. I can tow you.”
Then there’s Freddy Lenfesty, a Jonesport boat builder who when lobstering offshore once encountered a Navy destroyer. It’s said Lenfesty challenged the destroyer and raced it for a couple of miles.
With that kind of DNA it’s no wonder that 102 lobster boats came out for this year’s July 5th Moosabec Reach Lobster Boat Races. It was the biggest turnout for Maine’s 2025 lobster boat racing season with five more boats showing up than at last year’s Moosabec races.
Holding the races a day after July 4th contributed to the large turnout, according to Jon Johansen, race scorer. The races were the culmination of a week of patriotic celebrations of the country’s history, with dances, crate races, anything floats races and a contest where women were chucking frying pans to see who could throw them the farthest. A pancake breakfast took place prior to the boat races, and a parade and fireworks followed.
Come race day, “a lot of people lined both sides (of Moosabec Reach),” said Johansen. The boat to beat turned out to be Randy Durkee’s Black Diamond (Holland 32, 672 Chevy). In two races, the Gasoline Free-for-all and the World’s Fastest Recreational Lobster Boat, Black Diamond was matched up against Mark Freeman’s Foolish Pleasure (30’ Custom Riley Beal, 800-hp 550 Chevy). Black Diamond won both races at 49.1 mph.
A race that had a lot of history riding with it was race number 12, Class D (236 to 335-hp, 34 feet and over) with Chad Libby’s Myrtle Belle (Libby 34, 205-hp John Deere) and Ivan Libby’s Wrecking Crew (Libby 38, 305-hp Caterpillar) leading a pack of six boats. Both Libbys are grandsons of the late Ernest Libby (known as Nernie) a well-known Beals Island boat designer and builder who died February 2012. One of the better-known vessels he built was the wood Marguerite G. in 1968, considered to be the fastest lobster boat of its time.
The race between the two Libbys “was a close race,” said Johansen. “They were within half a boat length of each other at the finish.” Chad Libby’s Myrtle Belle won at 28.8 mph.
Another Ernest Libby grandson who made his racing presence felt was LeBaron Libby Jr. in the aptly named Gramp’s Legacy (Libby 41, 500-hp FPT). “Gramp’s Legacy is a new boat,” said Johanson, “and there haven’t been many new boats out racing. He’s won every race he’s been in.” That included the Moosabec Reach race when Gramp’s Legacy was matched up against nine other boats in Class M(A), 40 feet and over, up to 500 hp. Gramp’s Legacy finished at 29.1 mph.
The Diesel Free-For-All and the World’s Fastest Working Lobster Boat races were both won by Jeff Eaton’s La Bella Vita (Northern Bay 38, 815-hp FPT) with the fastest time of 43.2 mph.
The next race in Maine’s 2025 racing season will be at Stonington this coming Sunday, July 13.
