North Haven Dinghies on Mill River

The Mill River Race is a North Haven dinghy favorite. Starting in the Fox Islands Thorofare between North Haven and Vinalhaven, the course runs first through open coves then into an intricate network of ledges and islands in the narrow Mill River to a turning mark at a bridge at its head, then a different route to return. It can only be sailed at high water as most of the course is over tidal flats.

North Haven dinghies are the oldest American one-design class with racing beginning in 1887. The design is based on a boat carried aboard a schooner yacht owned by one of the summer colony's founders. He also brought boat builder J.O. Brown to North Haven. He and his son built most of them until relatively recently. Today new ones are built of fiberglass.

Photograph courtesy of Benjamin A.G. Fuller.