Everybody has a flag to fly. Those flags flew with purpose Saturday as dozens of boats unfurled their sails in Portland Harbor for the 33rd MS Harborfest Regatta. There were pirate flags – and for that matter, sailors dressed as pirates – state flags and American flags hoisted as the boats gathered for the annual regatta, which has, since 1982, raised more than $2 million for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The weekend’s MS Harborfest – including Friday’s benefit auction, Saturday’s regatta, and Sunday’s lobster boat and tugboat races – is expected to raise about $175,000 for the society, according to organizers. That’s about double last year’s fundraising efforts.

The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram is a sponsor of the event.