Every regatta isn’t a World Championship

by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News
In the 1970s, there was a Los Angeles community near my harbor with homes along narrow canals, and once a year a competition had entrants race down one of the canals. The boats were sail powered, built on-site, and had to get under several pedestrian bridge en route to the finish.

Spectators would line the canal banks to cheer, and often douse competitors from above the bridges. It was madly hectic, possibly illegal, and totally epic. I never had a chance to compete, but haven’t forgotten the enthusiasm for this fun format.

So, of course I adore the Fools Rules Regatta which for nearly half a century has stood as the summer season crown jewel of Jamestown, Rhode Island. Drawing adventurers, spectators, and creative minds from near and far, this beloved island tradition is a celebration of originality and community spirit.

The Jamestown Yacht Club transforms East Ferry Beach into a colorful festival of imagination where families and friends come together to build and race fantastical boats made from the most unconventional of materials.

The 46th edition is August 17, 2024, and entrants have two hours to assemble their boat on the beach. All forms of material – beer cans, buckets, pool toys – are permitted, with the firing of the cannon sending contestants on a 500-yard downwind course in their sail-powered crafts.

As the sport of sailing continues to spiral out of control with heightened costs to compete, the Fools Rules Regatta reminds us that it doesn’t all need to be that way. Not every regatta is a World Championship as format drives participation.

For additional details: https://jyc.org/wordpress/fools-rules-regatta/