Lakefest Spectator Fleet
Four ways to view all the racing action!
Option 1: Become a Sponsor
While there's really not bad way to watch a regatta, nothing beats watching all the racing action from the comfort of your (or your company's) very own luxury chartered yacht. That's right, at certain sponsorship levels you and your group can be treated to your very own professionally captained yacht complete with snacks, beverages and complimentary cocktails. Yachts will depart from the Grandpappy Fuel Dock on Saturday at a time arranged by the sponsor.
Option 2: BYOB (Bring Your Own Boat)
We hope all Texoma sail and power boats will join the spectator fleet and cheer on our competitors. It's the best party afloat! We simply ask spectator boats to keep clear of the race course and keep noise (especially loud music) at a discrete volume just while boats are in their starting sequence.
Regatta Course Description
The starting line will be between the port side of a committee boat (these will be large powerboats with several signal flags on them) and an inflatable mark approximately 50-100 yards to port of the committee boat. The boats will start by heading upwind (south, approximately 1 – 1.5 miles) to one of two windward marks. Remember, since sailboats can't sail directly into the wind, the racecourse will look like a diamond shape to give racers room to tack back and forth.
About 40-50 yards beyong the windward mark is a good place to anchor or raft up. Once the boats round the windward mark, many will set colorful spinnakers and change downwind to the leeward mark – another inflatable mark set about 50-75 yards windward of the Race Committee Boat's bow. Once they round the leeward mark, they'll head back upwind to complete as many laps as the Race Committee designates.
After rounding the windward mark for the final time, the boats will charge downwing for the finish line, which will be setup on the starboard side of the Race Committee boat (approximately the mirror opposite of the starting line. Probably the best spot for watching the racing is approximatley 50 yards behing the Race Committee boat and/or the start and finish lines.
Pending weather, each class of boats will run 3 races Friday, 3 Saturday and 1 Sunday.
For more information, please visit www.texomasailing.org and www.northtexaswish.org
