People who appreciate antique and classic boats are looking forward to Saturday, July 26, when the New England Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society will present its 51st annual Lake Winnipesaukee Antique & Classic Boat Show on Wolfeboro Bay.
What makes a boat an antique or classic? FiberGlassics, a community of boating enthusiasts, says boats built before the 1960s are considered classics if they have unique characteristics; otherwise, old boats are antiques. The Antique and Classic Boat Society, on the other hand, adopts a stricter standard that is now common among boaters, saying any boat built before or during 1918 is Historic; those built between 1919 and 1942 are Antique; those built between 1943 and 1975 are Classic; those built after 1975 “through the year 25 years prior to the current year” (which currently means the year 2000) are Late Classic; and wooden boats built within the last 25 years are Contemporary.
If the society uses such a strict classification for official judging, the Lake Winnipesaukee event is more casual. Boats are not “points-judged” for awards; instead, there are People’s Choice and Participants’ Choice winners.
Last year’s People’s Choice Award for boats went to Seems Like Old Times, a 1936 18-foot Garwood. The Participants’ Choice ended in a three-way tie: a 1964 16-foot Old Town Lapstrake, a 1958 24-foot Shepherd Runabout (Irish Eyes), and a 1930 21-foot Dodge 21A Twin Cockpit (Siren).
Ahead of this year’s show, the New England Chapter will hold a Friday Night Cocktail Reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Wolfeboro Inn’s 1812 Room. It provides a chance for participants to socialize while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, tea, and soft drinks.
The dock master will be there to make a presentation and answer questions about how the show will be run on Saturday.
The main event will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the 26th. Chapter President Steve Pelizza said dock space limits the number of boat entries to about 50, so they encourage people to make reservations ahead of time. Anyone planning to launch a boat on the day of the show should get there as early as 7 a.m. to avoid congestion. Trailer parking is available a few blocks away, at the municipal parking lot.
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