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The Fourteenth annual Round Island Regatta

The 14th running of Round Island Regatta saw many familiar faces and had near-perfect weather with sun and a westerly breeze. Sailors cast off first from the Peirce Island ramp to do three laps of the island. Meanwhile, kids worked to build 6" gundalow models to float in the "Great Little Gundalow Derby" upstream on the rising tide, and everyone received a small prize.

Next a small pack of 6 to 10 year olds set out for the kids kayak race, which was won this year by Izzy Kovick. Paddlers and rowers set off next, and the long paddle course of 2.1 miles around both Round Island and Lady Isle was won by Chris Carragher of Seacoast Paddleboard Club, closely followed by kayaker Kyle Whitehead. First on the shorter 1.2 mile course was Carolyn Skinder in a kayak followed by the first paddleboarder, Anna Folz.The multi-paddle class included a family of 6 in three double kayaks, and was won by Jeremy and Zeke Robbins.

The sailing race was won for the second year by Mary Hufty and Per Lorentzen in a 14' Merry Mac.

Competitors continued the celebration across the bridge at Piscataqua Riverfest with food, drinks, and an awards ceremony. This year's costume prize went to Lisa and Leah Kromer and their dog, all on a paddleboard, and the 2024 Sportsmanship trophy went to Amy Kovick, a Portsmouth teacher who has brought her 4th grade students sailing on Piscataqua for many years.

The Twelth annual Round Island Regatta

Spectators at the 12th annual Round Island regatta were treated to a waterway full of vessels ranging in size from kids kayaks and a six foot sailboat to a six person dory and a twenty one foot, lug rigged schooner. In between, there were all manner of kayaks, paddleboards, Merry Mac catboats, Piscataqua wherries, and other craft navigated by youth, adults, and one dog. The award picnic saw many familiar Gundalow friends on the prize podium.

The day started with the Great Little Gundalow Derby from the Peirce island dock as kids let their 6” model gundalows ride the tide. Next, the sailors headed out in the still flooding current in the 6-8 knot breeze. Once they cleared the starting line the larger fleet of paddlers went next, followed by a good number of rowers in traditional craft, some choosing the short course around Round Island and others continuing on past the 1B bridge for the Lady Isle course.

The first two solo paddlers back on the long course were regular competitors Nick Brown (a gundalow builder) and Jeff Oullette, and for the short course, Caroline Carroll followed by Chris Northrop. For multiple rowers on the long course, Molly Bolster (Gundalow Company director emeritus) and her husband Jeff took the prize rowing their peapod side by side. On the short course it was Peter Yost and Martin Smith in a double kayak.

Meanwhile, the sailing race saw exciting lead changes as competitors played the back channel wind and currents. In the end Rachel and Per Lorentzen took first (and also the Sportsmanship award) in their large Sea Pearl after doing a fourth lap in a race that only required three. They were followed by the first Merry Mac sailed by Mary Hufty and Dan Alegria, and then Ben Gamari in a tiny Cape Cod Frosty. The Gundalow Company thanks our generous sponsors along with all competitors and volunteers who made the annual celebration possible.

The Eleventh annual Round Island Regatta

Small boat regatta held to celebrate local waterways

Rowers, paddlers, and sailors converged on Peirce Island for the Gundalow Company’s 11th annual Round Island Regatta on August 7th, and the competition was tight at the finish but always friendly. The event started off with the “Great Little Gundalow Derby” with kids between one and six years old floating simple models they had assembled and decorated, powered by the tide.

The sailors started next in the light southerly breeze, and initially had trouble making progress against the still flooding tide. River eddies affected them as much as the models, and there were several exciting lead changes as they circled Round Island. Meanwhile, both single and double-handed rowboats started, followed by paddlers competing in the long course (around Round and Lady Isles) and the short course (twice around Round Island).

Line honors went to a Piscataqua Wherry built for the 1976 bicentennial, rowed by Bruce Folz and Megan Glenn with two young passengers. First in the longer Lady Isle course was a speedy sliding seat shell rowed by Catherine Saarela, and the first kayaker on that course was Jock Dyer (for the second year). Jocelyn Hawe was the first paddler to finish the short course. And for the sailors, Charlie Doane and Clare O’Brien edged out last year’s winner in a Merry Mac with their much smaller Melonseed Skiff.

A picnic and awards ceremony was held on Four Tree Island, where director Rich Clyborne thanked competitors and sponsors for supporting the non-profit Gundalow Company’s mission to “protect the Piscataqua Region’s maritime heritage and environment.” He announced the race was dedicated to its founder and stalwart competitor, Charles Lassen, and would hopefully be held next year in conjunction with the much larger Piscataqua Riverfest in early June.

The Tenth annual Round Island Regatta

The Tenth Annual Round Island Regatta took place on Saturday August 15, 2020

Saturday was a cool, gray and breezy morning at the Peirce Island boat ramp for the Gundalow Company’s tenth annual Round Island Regatta. With so many other festivals and events canceled this year the paddlers, rowers, and sailors seemed especially glad to be able to get on the water in a safe way for exercise and fun. The tightest competition was on the “Lady Isle” course, starting near the boat ramp and circling both Round Island and Lady Isle before returning under the 1B bridge for a total of 2.1 miles. Nick Brown (one of the builders of the Gundalow “Piscataqua” back in 2011) was first across the line on a paddleboard, followed closely by Jeff Ouellette (who had beaten Nick the year before). Jock Dyer won the kayak class and was third overall. Richard Wills was the first rower in his wooden Swampscott Dory, followed by a double kayak, peapod, and others. Dave Carlson won the paddle class for the shorter “Round Island” course, while his three children and several friends competed in the kids kayak class and in a three-person rowing dory. Meanwhile, the sailors did three loops around Round Island in the gusty NE breeze, and repeat competitor Stan Boduch took first prize in his Merry Mac dinghy.

Prizes were awarded, although without a picnic or larger festival this year. The Gundalow Company would like to thank sponsors Hamilton Marine, ReVision Energy, and Seven Rivers Paddling for their support, along with all of the competitors.

The Ninth annual Round Island Regatta

The Gundalow Company’s ninth annual Round Island Regatta took place on June 1^st, 2019.

With beautiful weather we had a fantastic turn out of around 90 competitors. There were 20 sailboats, 33 paddlers, 18 rowers (in singles and doubles), seven in the kids kayak race, five radio-controlled sailboats, and 16 younger kids floating their gundalow models in the “Great Little Gundalow Derby”. This year’s race was followed by food, drink, and awards at the inaugural Piscataqua Riverfest and Boat Show on the grounds of Strawbery Banke Museum. All proceeds and sponsorships support the Gundalow Company’s mission to “protect the Piscataqua Region’s Maritime Heritage and Environment through Education and Action.”

The Eighth annual Round Island Regatta

The Eighth annual Round Island Regatta took place on Saturday, August 11th, 2018 and was a grand celebration of our waterways and maritime traditions!

Launching from the Peirce Island Boat Ramp, the event kicked off with the “Great Little Gundalow Derby” in which kids raced 6 inch boat models with the tide. High drama in the model fleet included capsizes, turtling, and a de-masting, but of course without injury. The sailing fleet also drifted with the tide, unfortunately, and so paddlers and rowers got going while sailors waited for the wind. Youth paddlers and rowers circled Round Island once, and then it was two laps for the adults in two person wherries, kayaks, paddleboards, one canoe and one wheelbarrow-boat. Finally, with hardly a breath of breeze the sailors were sent off for a “no rules” circuit of the island, paddling and sculling their Merry Macs, Prams, Melonseeds, Cape Dorys and Catboats to the finish.

The heavier rain held off until after the picnic on Four Tree island, where executive director Rich Clyborne and Captain Matt Glenn thanked the racers and handed out awards.

Proceeds from the race help support the Gundalow Company’s award-winning education and camp programs.

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The Fifteenth annual Round Island Regatta