The Boothbay Harbor One Design Association's annual Windjammer Days races will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 26. The races are held between the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard and Tumbler Island.

The Boothay Harbor One Design Races showcase the importance of the boat building industry along the New England coast where windjammers (also known as tall ships) were built from the 17th to 20th centuries, and where classic Maine sailboats are constructed today. The aesthetically beautiful Boothbay Harbor One Design is a 21-foot day sailor designed by Geerd Hendel in 1938. Hendel had a hand in the design of the 1937's America's Cup winner, Ranger, along with the Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens.

Over the years 57 of these One Designs have been built. The majority of which can be found sailing in the waters of the Boothbay region and throughout the Midcoast. The first 36 were wooden and most of these were built in Boothbay by builders who have continued the tradition of fine craftsmanship of wooden boats. New One Designs are constructed of fiberglass or cold molded wood processes and epoxy/wood techniques. Recently, these techniques and processes have been developed to extend the life of older One Designs.

David Nutt, Boatbuilder of Edgecomb, recently built a mold from which the newest One Designs have been built using vacuum bagged core fiberglass construction. In addition, to the four new boats, Nutt has reuilt several of the older One Designs by veneering the hulls with two layers of western red cedar diagonally laminated to the exterior of the hull. This process results in an extremely solid hull and eliminates problems associated with past construction techniques. David Nutt has developed an extensive knowledge of boat building over the past 50 years.

The Boothbay Harbor One Design is a versatile, seaworthy family sailboat, perfect for enjoying a relaxing sail to a remote cove for a picnic – or a competitive race! Best viewing locations for the Windjammer Days races: the Department of Marine Resources and Maine State Aquarium on McKown Point Road in West Boothbay Harbor.

The races are sponsored by the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club and the Boothbay Harbor One Design Association.

For more information on these delightful sailboats, visit www.bhyc/BHODA.html.