Mike and John Bienkowski sailed the Mercury Edward Stewart for the Hayward Cup. They came in 10th place. PHOTO COURTESY SUE CHARLES

SWH Fleet sweeps Hayward Cup races

August 25, 2016 by Taylor Bigler Mace on News, Waterfront

Hayward Cup winners Ken and Ellen Brookes with Connie Madeira. ISLANDER PHOTO BY TAYLOR BIGLER

MOUNT DESERT — Members of the Southwest Harbor Fleet (SHF) sailed into first, second and third place at the 91^st annual Northeast Harbor Fleet Hayward Cup last Tuesday.

SHF Commodore Ken Brookes and his wife, Ellen, came in first in the Luders Sweet Chariot.

Connie Madeira, who sailed her first Hayward Cup race at age 12 in 1930, presented the cup to the Brookeses.

The race always follows the same course, twice around the Great Harbor.

Missy Marron and daughter Maddy came in second in their Luders Freight Train to Your Love, Baby. “It was an inherited name,” said Missy Marron. The Schmidt family – Scott, Melissa, Holliss, 13, and Marilla, 11 – came in third in the Luders Batty.

“It was fun for us to come out and sail with our kids and grandkids,” said Ellen Brookes. Their son Stephen Brookes and his wife, Laura Hutchins, sailed to fourth place in Gandalf with their children Evy, 6, and Ian, 5, who were aboard for their first sailboat race.

Daphne and Ames Lyman sailed with skipper David Rockefeller in Caribou. ISLANDER PHOTO BY TAYLOR BIGLER

Silly costumes are a hallmark of the annual race, and a handful of made-up mariners came in various themes of dress at the tea following the race at the fleet house.

“We may have come in sixth place, but we came in first in spirit,” said Daphne Lyman, who dressed up in wacky glasses and gold leggings along with her husband, Ames. “This is not the first time we’ve been the only ones in costume.”

Complete results can be found in the Sailing Scoreboard.