On any given weekend on the east end of Long Island, the waterways are filled with
vehicles for travel, whether it's family and friends lazing in the sun or thrill-seeking
individuals zooming across the horizon by jetski. For years, they've also played
host to competitive sailing, and the Eastern Long Island Yachting Association (ELIYA)
has another exciting season in store with its annual Offshore ELIYA Summer Series.
"If anything, what we're trying to do with the weekend races is to get all levels
of sailors out to enjoy their boat in a racing situation, and to learn something
about racing," said ELIYA vice president Bruce Dinsmore, a member at Breakwater
Yacht Club in Sag Harbor.
Wednesday night racing is still a popular option at places like Breakwater, Southampton
Yacht Club, and on the North Fork. Races like the 90-mile Greenport Ocean Race and
the bi-annual Off Soundings Races, whets the appetite of serious racers. The summer
series as well as the Island Series still rank highly in the eyes of area sailors,
whether they're novices or masters of their crafts.
Altogether, there are nine races run by different yacht clubs throughout the East
End. The series begins in early July; this year, the Heatherton Trophy Race, coordinated
by the Shelter Island YC, took boats from Orient Cove into Noyac Bay and back into
Pipes Cove. It included 26 boats of varying types, from the speedy J-100s and J-105s
to non-spinnaker boats.
"The competition tries to encourage sailors to get out there and race with people
not just in their own club," said ELIYA secretary Joan Worthing.
According to Worthing, 10 to 30 boats is a standard crowd for the off-shore races,
with the exception of the crown jewel of the series, the Whitebread Regatta, which
is also the finale. The Peconic Bay Sailing Association hosts the race, which dates
back to the mid-1990s. Boats, of which there are ordinarily 100 or so, begin and
end in Cutchogue, making a 32-mile loop around Shelter Island.
"It's tradition and they have a good party afterward," Dinsmore said. "It's a long
race and it's at a tough time of year. It's known to be windy, which can be difficult
for people."
The Whitebread is the deciding race in the off-shore series, which, per Worthing,
has been going strong since before 1980. It concludes the circuit that takes sailors
- no matter the caliber - from summer through Columbus Day. Awards are handed out
to the top three finishers in each division. Qualifiers must have participated in
at least 50 percent of races.
To learn more about the ELIYA, visit
www.elisailing.org.
Off-Shore ELIYA Series Race Schedule
Heatherton Trophy Race
Hosted by: Shelter Island YC
July 3
Spindrift Trophy Night Race
Hosted by: Orient YC
July 16
SIYC 125th Anniversary Race
Hosted by: Shelter Island YC
August 7
Sag Harbor Cup
Hosted by: Breakwater YC
August 13
Round Gardiner's Island Race
Hosted by: Devon YC
August 27
Fisher Cup
Hosted by: Old Cove YC
August 27
Poor Memorial Race
Hosted by: Shelter Island YC
September 4
Maycroft Cup
Hosted by: Sag Harbor YC
September 24
Whitebread Regatta
Hosted by: Peconic Bay SA
October 8
