The 77th annual Monhegan Race kicked off a few minutes after 1 p.m. today, when 36 sailboats left Hussey Sound off Falmouth and headed into open ocean for an overnight voyage.
The larger boats in the first and second divisions were racing to Monhegan Island and back, a 105-mile run that can take more than one day, depending on wind and weather conditions.
The boats will sail through the night and are expected to return sometime tomorrow.
Other, smaller boats in different divisions are racing shorter courses.
The event is part of a series of races coordinated by the Gulf of Maine Ocean Racing Association.
The National Weather Service is predicting that the wind will blow from the southwest at between 5 and 10 knots today and tonight, and seas of one to two feet.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
