Pumpkin boat race challenges sailors to finish without sinking

DAMARISCOTTA, Maine (AP)—A Texas man has carved out a victory in a pumpkin boat race in Maine.

The race featuring giant pumpkins transformed into watercraft is the highlight of the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and Regatta each Columbus Day weekend.

Jaja Martin, who has won the Golden Gourd several times, tells NECN that piloting a pumpkin boat is a delicate balance. For most, just finishing the race without sinking is a victory.

In the end, Russell Orms, of Austin, Texas, motored to victory in the power boat competition. He helped to carve a 1,150-pound pumpkin into a Viking ship called the Plundering Pumpkin. He called it “the most fun you can have in the water.”