Winds blew strong and steady through the 31st annual Pat West Gaff Rig and Schooner race last Sunday. The race featured a fleet of 25 boats, 12 of which were schooners. All finished.

“The wind started southeast at 10 to 15 knots and it slowly veered more southerly. It made for good sailing and good conditions for all sized boats,” said Nat Benjamin, one of the organizers of the race who sailed aboard his own gaff-rigged schooner, Charlotte.

The boats started off Eastville and sailed a course 15 miles around a bouy off Edgartown and then to another buoy of Hedge Fence in Nantucket Sound before returning to the start line. The race is divided into two classes: a schooner division and a gaff rig division, with a scratch boat-based handicap applied accordingly.

The boats started off Eastville. — Louisa Gould

Brilliant, a 62-foot schooner from Mystic Seaport, won her class, finishong just seconds ahead of Juno.

Kathleen, a 28-foot engineless catboat with a large rig owned by Tim Fallon, won her division.

But of all the boats in the race, Venture drew the most applause when she crossed the finish line. The 37-foot gaff rigged sloop was built 110 years ago. Pat West, the namesake of the race, bought the boat as the Depression was beginning to descend on America. He was in college at the time.

In the 1980s, Mr. West sold Venture to Mr. Benjamin for a dollar. She was relaunched in 1983.

“Pat West, he was a great old character,” Mr. Benjamin said. “It’s great that his boat still sails in the race today.”