Laguna Regatta is full sail ahead

Members of the Over the Reef Yacht Club went over some of the final details in preparation for the 2005 Laguna Regatta at the home of newly voted commodore Dr. Tony Stearns on Tuesday night, and with just a couple of days before the annual event, the fleet is ready to set sail.

The 30th edition of the open water race will be shipping off this Saturday, Feb. 26, and Sunday, Feb. 27, and members received some last minute instruction with regards to the rules and regulations.

Activities for the event get underway tomorrow night, as sailors and volunteers take part in the Laguna Regatta welcome party and registration dinner at 6:30pm at the Stearns’ residence. Aside from registering for the event, participants will have the opportunity to purchase t-shirts and tickets to the Sunday awards dinner.

Following a meeting for captains and crew for the sailing instructions as well as the skipper’s meeting on Saturday morning at 8am, the flash of color and the thrill of the sea come together when the first race gets underway at 9:25am.

Following a midday lunch break at Managaha Island, the fleet will resume the races at 1:25pm before retiring for the night.

The Sunday events also begin with the 8am sailing instructions and skipper’s meeting, but the first race of the morning is scheduled for an 8:55am start, with the Managaha Island lunch pause at 11:45am. The Hobie Cats will create a new wave of sea spray until the cessation of races at 5pm, and the international fleet will anchor at the Dai-Ichi Hotel Saipan Beach at 6pm for the awards banquet.

The OTRYC has been in existence since 1972, and has sponsored catamaran events (Hobie and Prindle cats), monohull distance sailing and regattas, and public seminars about both traditional Carolinian sailing and modern sailing.

The Regatta pits the captains and crew of the 16-foot Hobie Cats against one another in the waters of the Tanapag Lagoon, between Tanapag and Managaha.

In addition to being one of the most colorful events on the water, the Regatta is also the longest running sporting event in the Northern Mariana Islands. This year, the club expects somewhere between 10-12 teams from Japan and Saipan.

For more information about the Over the Reef Yacht Club, or about becoming a sponsor or a volunteer for the 30th Annual Laguna Regatta, visit their web site online at www.otryc.org.