Lakefest News
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Denison, TX (February 3, 2012) – Registrations for the 26th Annual Lakefest Regatta and Flotilla are NOW OPEN.
For the Regatta, view the Notice of Race and register here.
For the Flotilla,
view the Notice of Race and register here.
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EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS
by Ken Hurst, SAILING magazine
July, 2011
It might come as some surprise to sailors in other parts of the country, but there are big boats on the inland Lake Texoma. Big Texas-sized boats. Thirty to 40-footers. And lots of them.
Lake Texoma, which straddles the Texas-Oklahoma border, is the twelfth largest inland lake in the country at about 90,000 acres, with 580 miles of shoreline and distances greater than 25 miles between points of interest. With an average depth of over 30 feet and some spots up to 100 feet, it is home to the kinds of boats that you would normally see on coastal waters. [more].
TEXOMA LAKEFEST FOUNDATION PRESENTS RECORD DONATION TO
THE MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION® OF NORTH TEXAS
Denison, TX (June 11, 2011) – The Texoma Lakefest Foundation presented a donation on behalf of the Texoma Sailing Club and Grandpappy Point Marina to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of North Texas. The donation of $23,000 represented the third consecutive year of increasing donations to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas, and will be used to grant wishes to children in the Texoma region with life threatening medical conditions.
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MATCHMAKING, TEXAS STYLE
by Ken Hurst, SAILING WORLD magazine
July/August, 2011
Clubs everywhere are looking for ways to engage younger members, and down in Denison, Texas, a group of sailors has found a solution. In 2009, Texoma Sailing Club race captain Dave Long sat down with fellow racers Juan Mauri and J.D. Hill. They settled on a plan that capitalized on two resources they had in abundant supply; eager sailors at nearby institutions like Texas A&M University, University of Central Oklahoma, the University of Texas, and Texas A&M University at Galveston, and keepboat owners looking for crew. The result of their brainstorm, the Collegiate Challenge, connects college sailors with club members for the Lakefest Regatta [more].
DATES FOR LAKEFEST 2012 ANNOUNCED
Denison, TX (May 14, 2011) – The Texoma Lakefest Foundation and Texoma Sailing Club today announced the dates for Lakefest 2012, which are April 12 for the Chaos Cup VIP / Corporate Sponsor race and April 13-15 for Lakefest Regatta and the Flotilla. Stay tuned for more information including the announcement of major new sponsors and the check presentation from Texoma Lakefest Foundation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas.
RESULTS ARE NOW POSTED
Denison, TX (April 18, 2011) – We'd like to thank everyone who participated, hung on through a windy Friday and eventually had some good racing and great fun. We would particularly like to thank and acknowledge Jeff Jones and the Texas Viper 640 Fleet, the Texas Offshore Multihull Association who have been such great competitors and supporters of Lakefest throughout the years, our Collegiate Challenge students who bring such great enthusiasm for the sport, and the Texoma skippers and crews who were exposed to the excitement and challenge of sailboat racing through The Flotilla.
Our Silver Anniversary Lakefest Champions are:
Viper 640: Catapult, Brad Robbins skipper
Performance Multihull: Overdo, John Novak skipper
Spinnaker 1: Enigma, Juan Mauri skipper
Spinnaker 2: Blue Flash, Matthew Arno skipper
Cruising 1: Solstice, Jack Montani skipper
Cruising 2: Paragon, Mike Wilkinson skipper
Cruising 3: Lil Buddy, Kenny Dykes skipper
Leisure: Peter & Judi Nitsche skippers
Flotilla:
Terra Nova, Butch Win berg skipper
Complete results can be found here.
VISIT THE TEXOMA SAILING CLUB / LAKEFEST REGATTA FACEBOOK PAGE TO SEE PARTY PIX
LAKEFEST 2011 PHOTO GALLERY SPONSORED BY KEN HURST PHOTOGRAPHY
Denison, TX (April 18, 2011) – Photographer Ken Hurst was out on the racecourse during the entire event chronicling the racing. His work, as always, is simply stunning. Ken has graciously offered to give each skipper who participated in Lakefest a medium resolution photo of their choice. Further, 50% of all print sales will be donated to the Texoma Lakefest Foundation to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas. Please visit the Lakefest 2011 gallery at KenHurstPhotography.com to see all the action. Ken has shot literally hundreds of photos. So check back often as they will be uploaded over the next few days.
CABLE ONE RENEWS LAKEFEST SPONSORSHIP, TV COMMERCIAL
Denison, TX (April 11, 2011) – Good corporate citizens of Sherman and Denison continue to step forward and show their support for the 25th annual Lakefest regatta. Most recently Cable ONE stepped up to provide pro-bono airtime of a Lakefest commercial that will be transmitted throughout the Sherman / Denison area. Cable ONE is an operator of cable systems that serves approximately 720,000 customers in 19 states with cable television, telephone and high-speed Internet service.
LAKEFEST TROPHIES HAVE ARRIVED
Denison, TX (March 10, 2011) – To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first inland charity regatta in the United States, the Texoma Sailing Club and Texoma Lakefest Foundation wanted to award Lakefest champions with prizes worthy of commemorating this milestone event. The winners of each class will be presented with a sterling silver plated claret mug (for first place) or bowl (for 2nd and 3rd). Trophies will also be presented to the top performing school in the Lakefest Collegiate Challenge as well as the top performing host boat in the Collegiate Challenge. BTW, as great as these trophies look, the photo really doesn't do them justice.
TEXOMA LAKEFEST REGATTA RAISES $20,000 FOR MAKE-A-WISH
Herald Democrat
Sherman, TX (July 6, 2010) – For the past 24 years, the community minded sailors of the Texoma Sailing Club have hosted the Texoma Lakefest Regatta. The Regatta, held each April at Grandpappy Point Marina on Lake Texoma, was the first charity regatta in the United States. The mission of the regatta is to hold world class sail boat racing to raise money to benefit children's charities in the Texoma area [more].
CONGRATULATIONS TEXOMA SAILING CLUB ON ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!
The Texoma Sailing Club presents a check representing the proceeds from the 2010 Texoma Lakefest Regatta to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of North Texas. The donation will grant wishes to children in the Texoma region with life threatening medical conditions.
Front row from left: Chuck Flanagan of the Texoma Lakefest Foundation, Erin Michel and Claire Christensen of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of North Texas, and Grandpappy Point Marina General Manager Jason Cottingame.
LAKEFEST GATHERS CROWD DESPITE DREARY WEATHER (video here)
by Heather Sahr KXII-TV First 12 News
Denison, TX (April 15, 2010) – Nearly a quarter century old charity event is taking place at Lake Texoma this weekend and participants aren't letting a little rainy weather get in the way of their plans.
Last year, the Texoma Lakefest Regatta changed their charity recipient to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of North Texas. Hundreds gathered at Grandpappy Point to take part in the event. Weather was a little better for the first day of the competition but captains, skippers and first mates say what's most important is what's at the heart of this event, a fund raiser for children with life threatening medical conditions.
A few boaters sat out Saturday as the clouds hung overhead. "We decided it was to icky to go out there and do it, we're fair weather sailors and today wasn't fair weather," Boat Captain, Steve Parry, said. Although boaters like Parry didn't take part in Saturday's race, they still gathered at the marina to watch the competition from a distance.
"Texoma's so big that we can set up and run very good quality races," said Primary Race Officer Wayne Coulon. "We usually have good wind. Out on the west coast, we don't get wind until about noon. Here, we've got it all the time."
This year marked the 24th regatta on Lake Texoma. Funds raised have gone to multiple local charities in the past, but last year the competition began donating to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The partnership began after the commodore for the Texoma Sailing Club saw a touching photo.
"I happened to see one of their annual reports, and there was a little boy on there steering a sailboat and it just wrenched your heart so I was like, yea this would be a great fit," Commodore, J.D. Hill, said.
Parry says purpose of the event shines through despite the weather and his team enjoyed the event on land today. They're proud of their victories from Fridays race. "We got fourth in one race and fifth in the other. Well there's fifty boats out there but there's not fifty boats in our group so I would say there were about four or five in our group and that's about how we did," Parry, said.
Today's events concluded at the Regatta Pavilion for the Shipwrecked Ball. There's still a chance to catch the tale end of the weekend long celebration. Sunday afternoon awards will be handed out by the Make a Wish Foundation of North Texas.
NO SIBLING RIVALRY AMONG SAILORS
Denison, TX (April 12, 2010) – Dallas and Ft. Worth... Two great cities with plenty of crosstown rivalries. One of the best parts about working for a great cause like the Texoma Lakefest Foundations and the Make-A-Wish® Foundation is that it brings out the best in people. Almost all North Texas yacht clubs are involved in Lakefest to some degree, but our crosstown "rivals" from Ft. Worth really stepped up this year to demonstrate the very best qualities in sailors and in sportsmanship. Not only are they sending three boats to compete in Lakefest this year, but many FWBC members can be found scattered throughout Lakefest crews. They're also bringing in a fairly large contingent to participate in the spectator fleet. One anonymous sponsor, a doctor from FWBC, when making a generous donation merely requested we make the following acknowledgement:
"The Fort Worth Boat Club salutes Texoma Sailing Club and the Lakefest Regatta participants for their community generosity."
FUN FOR EVERYONE: TEXOMA SAILING CLUB ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF "LEISURE FLEET"
Denison, TX (February 19, 2010) – Spread the word … Lakefest will offer a racing division for boats equipped with roller furling mainsails. Times change, designs evolve, and so will the Lakefest Regatta. Many boat owners with cruising boats equipped with roller-furling mainsails have shied away from racing due to the lack of large, well-trained crews and the comparative performance difference between standard mainsails and roller furling mainsails. To give cruising boat skippers a fun and level the playing field, Lakefest is offering cruising boats with roller furling mainsails their own fleet. On the registration form, this fleet will be marked as “leisure fleet". Awards, scoring, and handicapping will be identical to other divisions and fleets. This will provide great and fair competition in a fun and less intense format.
TEXOMA LAKEFEST REGATTA ANNOUNCES FORMATION
OF A 20-FOOT SPORT BOAT FLEET
Denison, TX (February 17, 2010) – The Texoma Lakefest Foundation and the Texoma Sailing Club are pleased to announce the formation of a twenty-foot sport boat fleet for this year’s Lakefest Regatta to be held April 16-18, 2010. This fleet is being formed to encourage boats from the fastest-growing segment of sailing to participate in the region’s premier sailing event.
Classes expected to participate include the i550, Laser SB3, Melges 20, Open 5.7, Rocket 22, Ultimate 20 and Viper 640. All boats are required to sail in their one-design configuration.
Appropriate handicaps will be assigned, and all boats will participate as a single fleet. If one participating design has five or more entries, they will be scored as a one-design fleet in addition to being scored in the overall mixed-fleet results. view complete press release
LAKEFEST IS NOW ON FACEBOOK
Denison, TX (January 11, 2010) – Texoma Lakefest Regatta is now on Facebook. Please become a fan of Lakefest and help us promote this great and worthy event to all your sailing friends. We want to see 100 boats on the starting line in 2010, and with your help, we might just be able to get there. This year, there will be spectator boats for your friends and family to come out, watch and cheer you to victory, and Saturday night's Shipwreck Ball dinner and party is open to everyone. More party details to follow soon...
CONGRATULATIONS TEXOMA SAILING CLUB!
Texoma Lakefest Foundation board members present proceeds from the 2009 Texoma Lakefest Regatta to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of North Texas
From left: TSC Race Captain Chuck Flanagan, David Burrage of the Burrage Law Firm, Grandpappy Point Marina General Manager Jason Cottingame, Make-A-Wish Foundation® of North Texas Development Officer Megan O'Brien, Make-A-Wish Foundation® of North Texas President Barry Smink, and TSC Vice Commodore J.D. Hill, Jr.
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LAKE TEXOMA RACING
Red River Interrupted
by Kimball Livingston, SAIL Magazine
March, 2009
Off the bow I could see Oklahoma. I looked over the stern, and yonder was Texas. Around me whitecaps were building on a special lake that splits the difference between two be-all, end-all rivals, and the name of that body of water says it all. Texoma [more].
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Thank You, Race Committee
by Kimball Livingston, SAIL Magazine
April 23, 2008
On the north coast of Texas, you can see all the way to Oklahoma. But what I carried away from Lakefest on Lake Texoma was a renewed appreciation for the volunteers who make sailboat racing possible [more].
Texoma Lakefest Regatta - Annual Charity Event Raises Funds for Special Needs Children
by Andi Hunt, Associated Content, Inc.
February 21, 2008
Texoma Lakefest Regatta is in its' 22nd year in April 2008 and known throughout the U.S. as the Grand Dame of sailboat racing. The charity event has raised more than $1.5 million for special needs children throughout Grayson County, making it one of the top charitable regattas in the nation [more].
For more information, please visit www.texomasailing.org and www.northtexaswish.org