New London — Gaspar’s Restaurant on Bank Street with its crab bisque won the “Great New London Chowder Challenge” at this weekend’s Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival. It was the second straight year the restaurant took the title.

Hundreds of people sampled the chowders from 20 downtown New London restaurants and voted for their favorite. Finishing second, also for the second straight year, was the Seehund German Pub and Restaurant, on Bank Street with a New England clam chowder with bacon and roasted Fuji apples.

The schooner Columbia won the third annual Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival Schooner Race. When and If finished second, followed by defending champion Brilliant. The winner of the first whaleboat race was the co-ed team from the Mystic Seaport, followed by the Mystic Seaport men’s team in second, and the New Bedford Whaling Museum in third place.