Edgewood Yacht Club could well earn the title of the “Bug Capital” of the sailing community. Earlier this summer, the club hosted the North American WASZP championships and Saturday and Sunday it was the Beetle Cat championships.

Apart from having a sail and a rudder, the two boats couldn’t be more different. The WASZP is high tech, built from carbon fiber and centered on a foil extending below the hull that -- in winds of 10 knots and more -- will lift the craft above the waves accelerating it to 20 knots and faster. As for the Beetle Cat, even 101 years after the 12-foot boat was designed, it continues to be made by hand of cedar planking over white oak frames with a canvas deck and wooden spars. Top speed is a fraction of the WASZP. Comparatively, the Beetle is a dry boat and a solid platform. The same basic principles apply to sailing the two boats but the difference is like being behind the wheel of a lawn tractor and a formula one racer.

But don’t belittle the Beetle.

Some Beetle owners – named for the designer and first builder of the boats, John Beetle -- affectionately call them bathtubs. Indeed, they are more round than pointy with ample space for three if not more. Beetle, who was in the business of building 26-foot whaling boats, transformed his company into making a small version of the catboat as a means for training sailors for the fishing industry and (as it turned out) a safe and seaworthy vessel for kids to learn how to sail said Bill Womack, owner of the Beetle Boat Shop in Wareham, MA.

Womack bought the rights to build the boat more than 20 years ago. Womack’s presence at the Leo J. Telesmanick Beetle Cat Championship Regatta was appreciated by the sailors not only because many of them bought their boats from Womack, but he brought along a supply of just about anything that could break during two days of competitive racing. 

Womack, the fourth “caretaker” of the company that built the first Beetle Cat in 1921, said “we haven’t changed anything.” He paused to correct himself. There has been a change in the quality of materials with only the best American-made products going into the boats. He also notes materials such as paints and varnishes have improved and, if properly cared for, the boats will last for 40 years.  He points out that the same mold has been used to build the boats since 1946 and since then 2,378 Beetle Cats have come off the assembly line.

Indeed, with good wind on Saturday and Sunday, Womack’s supply of parts was appreciated.

Stuart Malone, who worked the race committee boat, said the fleet sailed six races on Saturday and another five on Sunday in conditions that some Beetle sailors weren’t accustomed to. With gusts of 18 knots out of the south and choppy waters, Malone said some skippers were kept busy bailing. None of the boats capsized. There were gust of 20 knots on Sunday, but the wind was out of the southwest making for calmer waters.

The overall winners of what is considered the Beetle Cat Northeast Championships were Michael Costello and Mariel Marchand of Sandwich, MA. Second was Ery Largay and Reed Wadlow of Marblehead, MA, and third was the team of Nonie Price and Adam Wiatrowski of South Salem, NY.

Boats were scored on nine of their best races.

Malone pointed out that Michael Costello & Mariel Marchand sailed at such a high performance that they discarded second and third place finishes to make up their quota of nine races.