Sailor’s Delight
The Carolina Yacht Club’s annual SAYRA regatta draws sailors from around the Southeast
BY Taylor Hammeke
The observant eye will have seen sails peppering the horizon at Wrightsville Beach this summer.
The avid sailors at the Carolina Yacht Club have numerous summer races, including a Junior Series, Ocean Series, Fun Sail, and Sound Series.
A highlight of August is the South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association (SAYRA) regatta. The club has been hosting a yearly SAYRA regatta for more than 30 years.
SAYRA sponsors several regattas and clinics throughout the year for sailors in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. This year, the SAYRA Open regatta will take place at the Carolina Yacht Club Aug. 5-6.
Waterfront director Jack Gower says this event attracts a wide age range of sailors with “the youngest around 8 years old all the way up to 80.”
There were 130 boats at the race in 2022, and 2023 registrations are expected to climb.
This race attracts sailors from the Southeast with 70 percent expected from other sailing clubs in the region.
The Carolina Yacht Club is also expected to have a strong showing. There are typically three races each day of the event, weather permitting.
The event is open to one-design boats 20 feet or less with a minimum fleet size of three. Boat classes expected are Sunfish, 420, Lightning, International Laser Class Association (ILCA), and Melges 15. Prizes will be awarded to the top three boats in all divisions. The ILCA Class additional prizes will be awarded as follows: Overall ILCA 7, Overall ILCA 6, and Top Female ILCA 6.