Lincoln’s Slice of Heaven

There’s a great thing happening out in Cornhusker country. Nothing fancy here, but the sailing is excellent. Story by Dave Powlison for Sailing World:

Lincoln, Nebraska, is not exactly known as an American sailing epicenter, but after attending a recent Snipe regatta in this unique location, perhaps we should reconsider. Just northwest of Lincoln is Branched Oak Lake, a manmade, crescent-shaped lake of 1,800 acres. And on the shores of that lake, smack in the middle of the land enveloped by the crescent, is the Lincoln Sailing Club. Like so many clubs across the country, these folks really know how to do a lot with just a little.

Yes, the facilities are basic: one long dock, a single-room clubhouse with garage doors at either end and a covered patio, a ramp and enough space for rows of small centerboarders and catamarans. Their biggest fleet is Snipes, and in late June, their annual Fire and Water Snipe Regatta, which has been running for decades, draws boats from Kansas, Texas and Colorado. This year, they had one of their biggest fleets ever–31 boats. – Full report