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Inter-Lake Yachting Association (I-LYA)

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Ilya annual powerboat regatta, put-in-bay calendar of events 2022, july 26, 2023 - july 30, 2023, ilya power boat regatta.

Put-in-Bay will host the 130th annual gathering of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association Powerboat Regatta at the Put-in-Bay Boat Docks . Yacht Clubs from across Ohio and Michigan gather at the Put-in-Bay Yacht Club for activities, events & camaraderie. The fun family-oriented event includes competition both offshore and onshore.

Regatta Events

Regatta events including boat docking, chicane, a flying mile, and predictive log. The Junior Power Regatta includes safe boating, navigation, weather prediction, and fishing. Participants will also enjoy softball, volleyball, putt-putt, and golf for those who are competitive onshore as well as on the water.

Put-in-Bay Hotels generally book far in advance for this weekend. Families needing larger accommodations should book the Put-in-Bay Villas far in advance. The villas sleep 8 people and are 4 bedrooms 3 bathrooms right in the heart of downtown Put-in-Bay. Put-in-Bay Golf Cart Rentals are in short supply for this event so reserve early!

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The Inter-Lake Yachtsmen’s Fund

Incorporated october 10, 1919, the inter-lake yachtsmen’s fund has been supporting sailors and boaters throughout the lake erie region for nearly a century.  thanks to past support, many grant recipients have gone on to become, coaches, crew, and boat owners throughout the usa and beyond – contributing to the boating community and the sport of sailing for many years to come., grants are given for amateur activities for both youth and adults – powerboating and sailing – including:, us sailing championships, training for judges, race officers, instructors, and event managers, partial funding of expenses for youth to travel to major regattas and training events outside our region, support of clubs and boating organizations hosting national-level sailing and powerboating events, housing and coaching for the i-lya junior sailing championships (jbw) a 60+ year tradition bringing youth from across the region to compete, safe powerboating & navigation training at the annual i-lya junior power regatta and support of programs held at nearby clubs., many other worthy events and programs, as grants are requested, grant requests.

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ILYA Powerboat Regatta

July 26, 2023 - july 30, 2023, put-in-bay powerboat regatta 2023, powerboat regatta contests, are you interested in coming to this fun powerboat regatta event contact our favorite lodging partners.

• Edgewater Hotel Located right on the main strip! 
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Marine News from the Great Lakes

From the bridge of the i-lya.

Published: Friday, July 6, 2018

The Inter-Lake Yachting Association extends an invitation to join us for our 125 th Regatta this August at Put-in-Bay, OH. The events begin August 1 st and 2 nd with deepwater sail racing from Cleveland, Detroit, Sandusky, and Toledo. Races finish at the island sometime on Thursday, August 2 — depending upon wind. That afternoon, the 125 th Sail Regatta will kick off with opening ceremonies and food and beverages in the tent. Around the island races will take place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with additional races pending wind conditions. In addition to PHRF, JAM, and Cruising courses, there is also a Centerboard Course which will run a dedicated start for any class with at least five boats. The Notice of Race and Registration can be found on Yacht Scoring. 2018 registration fees will remain at 2017 rates until July 5, so register early for the discount.

On Wednesday, August 8, the Power Regatta and Junior Power Regatta kick off with dockage available at noon. Opening ceremonies, games, and food and beverage follow. Regatta events including docking, chicane, flying mile, and predictive log. The Junior Power Regatta includes safe boating, navigation, weather prediction, and fishing. The event also includes softball, volleyball, putt-putt, and golf for those who are competitive on shore as well as on the water.

Full details on all the events, lists of past winners, and photos of the competition are located at www.I-LYA.org . We look forward to seeing you there this summer!

Commodore Mike Powers, Vice Commodore Cindy Johnson Mintus, and Rear Commodore Steve Hyder

This article first appeared in the Launch Issue (May/Jun) 2018 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.

tags: Lake Erie , Racing , Sailing

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Inter-Lake Yachting Association Regatta Placement Flags

The Inter-Lake Yachting Association was formed through the efforts of George Gardner, founder of the Cleveland Yacht Club. In 1884, while he and several other avid boaters traveled to Put-In-Bay, he had the epiphany that Put-In-Bay would be the ideal place for a major regatta. On January 17, 1885, he called for a meeting in Cleveland to form an association of clubs on and surrounding Lake Erie, and in turn, created the Inter-Lake Yachting Association (I-LYA). 

Every year, the I-LYA holds a week-long regatta in Put-In-Bay, Ohio in August, also known as Bay Week. Club’s who are members of the I-LYA attend this event to participate in social gatherings, games, live entertainment and music, and of course yacht racing for every type of boat class. 

The flags displayed here were awards for the Star Class yacht. The Star Boat is one of the more common racing yachts for the highly skilled and devoted racer. Be sure to check in the future to learn more about other racing classes! Traditionally the colors of the flags are in direct relation to the placement finish of the race; yellow signifies first, red for second, and blue for third. In some instances, the colors were swapped between first and third. It is unknown as to why this is. 

The Star Class vessel was developed in 1911 by Francis Sweisguth, a draftsman in the offices of Naval Architect William Gardner. Gardner was contacted by George A. Corry, a leader of a group of yachtsmen in Long Island, New York, to design a “small, inexpensive chine-built arc-bottomed sailboat with a keel.” Gardner then had Francis Sweisguth create the design and the Star boat was born. The overall length of the original vessel design was 22 ft 7 in, the beam was 5 ft 8 in, crafted entirely of wood. Since 1911, the Star Boat is what is called a “one design”, meaning all boats of this type are identical in design and dimensions. The only difference seen today is that the boat is now made of fiberglass as opposed to wood. 

The Star boats were an instant success with thousands having been sold and were adopted as the standard class in the Olympics beginning in 1932.

This exhibit is made possible by visitors like you.  Please consider making a donation to the National Museum of the Great Lakes to help us continue our important work of preserving and making know the history of the Great Lakes.

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Welcome to APYC Website

All Ports Yacht Club is located at Venetian Marina , located on beautiful Sandusky Bay in Sandusky, Ohio with a stunning view of Cedar Point Amusement Park. 

Welcome from Commodore, Stephen Sump

Member AYC, GCBA, and I-LYA

APYC is affiliated with three main boating organizations on Lake Erie: Associated Yacht Club (AYC), The Greater Cleveland Boating Association, (GCBA) and Inter-Lake Yachting Association (I-LYA) These memberships provide many benefits to our members. This allows you to travel to other marinas and get discounted dockage. The host members will welcome you with open arms and make you feel like one of their own. In addition, these organizations represent the interest of boaters with governments at local, state, and federal levels.

For more information about these organizations, see the Links page

Middle Bass Island Yacht Club

Welcome aboard 41°40'27.1"n 82°48'28.4"w.

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Middle Bass Island Yacht Club 

is located on Middle Bass Island in Lake Erie near the north coast of Ohio.

Founded in 1989 by a group of Lake Erie boaters who frequented the islands of the western basin, Middle Bass Island Yacht Club has grown to over 315 members.  The Club is situated on Middle Bass Island within the State Park Marina facility. MBIYC leases its property from the State of Ohio.  The club facilities include a clubhouse and docks for seasonal and guests boaters.  A dockmaster and dockhands are employed by the club to aid all members and guests with dock assignment and docking. A club dock policy is in effect, enforced by the dockmaster. Dockage is available to visitors from affiliated clubs on a reciprocal basis. MBIYC is a member of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association and the Greater Cleveland Boating Association.

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1908 Inter-Lake Yachting Association Regatta Lake Erie, Put-in-Bay, Ohio, July 19-25, 1908

The 1908 Regatta of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association Held at Put-In-Bay, Lake Erie, July 19-25, 1908, and participated in by the most representative fleet of power craft ever gathered together on the Great Lakes Robert E. Power

Another Inter-Lake regatta has passed into history. To some it brought success, to others simply pleasure, while to that small minority of hard losers who came from hence and departed whither, it leaves not even a pleasant memory.

In no sense does the viewpoint of the parties of the third part detract from the general opinion of the large minority, that the fifteenth annual regatta of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association was the greatest in the history of the sport on Lake Erie. Surely in point of attendance, in the number and character of boats, in conditions on the race course, and in the carrying out of the printed program, no race meet of record on the Great Lakes exceeds the one held at Put-In-Bay July 19-25, 1908.

In the past summers it has been our custom to tell the story of the Inter-Lake regatta from beginning to end. This years we have outgrown the sailing end of the sport; to speak more plainly, the power boat interests which we represent have outgrown the older yachting branch. We shall, therefore, be very busy indeed if we confine ourselves exclusively to the gasoline craft. The wind jammers know who won and who lost, and why. Of the power boat men about half a dozen winners knew why they won, or claimed they did, while two score losers couldn't figure out why they lost, in spite of the fact that there were a great many more boats than prizes.

Let it be said right now, before we go further into the details of this regatta, that personalities must be eliminated in the considerations of those questions directly affecting the results. For the good of the Association and the advancement of the sport in every locality under its flag, we must talk plainly. In many respects we take the point of view of our chief executive, that all men are men and that all evils are evils whether the particular evil involved is red, white or black. President Roosevelt says, "Speak gently and hit hard; but smile when you're doing it." If those of us who are trying to own and race power boats, cannot accept just praise and equally just criticism in the same common sense spirit, we had better take up some other form of business or recreation as the case may be.

This year is the first in the history of the Inter-Lake Yachting Association that the power boat interests have to any extent been recognized. There have been races in past seasons at Put-In-Bay but they were sort of catch-as-catch-can affairs participated in by few boats under rules which were only known to the contestants after they arrived at the island.

In 1905 Prof. H. C. Sadler, of the University of Michigan handicapped the boats by a secret process known only to himself and it rebounds to his credit that he came very near being right in his deductions. As we recall it, there were only three or four starters. In 1906 and 1907 the A.P.B.A. rules were used with as much success as could be expected considering the time given the committee to measure and handicap the boats.

How absurd the results worked out may be judges from the cruiser race, where there were only three starters, Wilana , Wistaria and the converted sloop, Viking . The first named is a twin screw 12-mile craft, 68 feet on the deck, with 8 cylinders 5 3/4 x 6, turning 500 r.p.m., while Wistaria is a 42-foot cruiser with 4 cylinders 6 x 8 developing 25 horsepower and capable of 9 1/2 miles an hour. The committee gave Wilanna a handicap over Wistaria and called it a race. This happened a year ago. The speed boats fared almost as badly. Only one boat, Arrow, had a chance to win the handicap event because she fitted the rule and rated very low in proportion to her speed.

So we may well say that this year was the first genuine test of power boat racing at an Inter-Lake meet. it was successful to this extent, that it brought forth 43 entries all told and a big field of starters in the cruising and racing classes. Also it aroused dissension enough to start a South American revolution and some rare good kicking helped keep the interest alive up to the very end. About the best thing it did do was to give the actual performance rule a thorough scavenging so that it now hangs limp and lifeless before us where we may dissect and analyze its good and bad points to our heart's content. had every contestant read the printed rules before entering the race, we should now have even more valuable data to work on, because a considerable amount of energy was spent in asking and answering pertinent questions, well thought out before- hand, and printed in plain English in the official program.

The writer may as well admit at the beginning that he was chairman of the power boat committee, that the rules were largely of his making and that when it comes to being the goat, he was the real-for-sure thing for about four days. The only consolation before, during, and since the ordeal was the premeditated idea that some one had to do the job; that no one but a casehardened sinner should be asked to interpret the merits of any power boat race under any fixed set of rules. Someone had to be the sucker and the writer was the likeliest looking biped of that species in sight when Commodore Worthington made his choice.

The chief points of dissatisfaction were two in number. It was considered illogical by the owners of the fast speed boats that a slower craft should win the championship. Instead of giving the prize to the most reliable performer, it should have been a premium for speed alone. One man claimed that because his boat improved her performance steadily in the two handicap races and ran faster than in the free for all, it was evidence of superiority rather than cause for disqualification because she exceeded her 103 per cent in the last event. Such racing, he maintained, was a matter of time piece calculation and was no test of a boat's ability.

In a sense these claims are true. But not every man is able to own the fastest boat. The free for all race was designed to bring out the speed possibilities of every entry and enough prizes were given to make worth while to go the limit.

After the question of actual speed was settled on Tuesday, the committee set the boats on their handicaps and sent them on a ten and twenty mile race to see which one could maintain the most consistent performance, and to prove out their reliability. Some of the boats ran their heads off and were disqualified, as it was evident that the free for all race had not been a proper test of what they could do. The rule were very plain on this point and any violation could have been avoided.

Scripps took the free for all flag because she proved to be the fastest boat in the fleet. Red Devil earned the championship because she put up the most consistent performance on Wednesday. That's the answer in the speed boat events.

If the results of the Class C races were not what they should have been (and to judge the question one must always have in mind the greatest good to the greatest number) the responsibility rests entirely upon the rules and not upon their application at Put-In-Bay. The actual performance rule has its faults and we all know them to more or less extent, but it has one great virtue which no rating rule or other formula possesses. it plays no favorites, places no premium upon special form of hull or particular type of engine and gives every man the same equal chance to win whether he be a millionaire with a $10,000 outfit, or a mechanic with a home made product. We are democratic enough to believe that the principle at least is right and that the sport should not be confined to a few wealthy men or manufacturers.

Taking up the second point of dissatisfaction, the committee is largely responsible of the fact that that the 30-mile race for cruisers on Wednesday was not properly handicapped. The free for all race was run over a logged course of 10 statute miles. That was the supposition based upon several days spent in setting the five-mile flag. Anyone who has attempted to log distances about the islands where currents abound, knows that nothing short of a geodetic survey assures absolute accuracy. Experience tells us that logged courses are usually long; the one in question was undoubtedly a little short. When the differences in finish times of the cruisers on the ten mile course were tripled for the handicap race, the faster boats had the best of it. Had the West Sister Island course been about two miles shorter, the results would have been correct, according to the rule. The last two miles sent the fast boats ahead of the slow ones.

The damage was discovered after the race was over and the performance figured out. All the boats were several minutes behind their rated times and the result was only approximately correct. But the cruising men did not growl half as much as the speed boat chaps, though they has a hundreds times more reason to complain. The scratch boat was home first and should have been an easy winner. She loafed in, however, and lost to Red Feather as a result of nothing more or less than ignorance of the rules. No one begrudges the Affleck boys the flag because they have a big, wholesome, seaworthy craft that is a cruiser in every sense of the word. More than that, they built her themselves and are as good salesmen as ever took a good ship to sea; the kind that would go to Bermuda on two days' notice.

When the last word has been said about the actual performance rule and it has been thoroughly condemned by the disappointed ones, the result of the open launch handicap proves that it is a better method than even the committee dared to hope for. Joe Grasser tried to beat it and failed. He finished five seconds too soon simply because his watch varied that much from the official timepiece on the judge's boat. When Grasser and his naphtha launch, Resolute, cannot win a race under the actual performance rule, you may put it down for all time that "any man with a watch and a reliable boat can win every time," this is an exploded theory. Before you disagree with this statement take the summary and figure it out. Then ask Joe about it.

Having indulged in considerable target practice at long range, it is about time we called all hands an boarded this old hooker of a race meet. If we have to crack a few heads to get over the side, you must remember that all's fair in love and war. And power boat racing is either one or the other.

Hostilities opened Sunday morning, July 17, when the fleet began to arrive. They came all day, some around Gi cen Island, others north of Rattlesnake and the remainder from the south of Kelley's. The wind was westerly and pretty fresh giving the Detroit and Toledo fleets a fair run while the south shore contingent had to buck it up the lake. By sundown every dock was plasters with power craft, while many of the big fellows were anchored in the bay.

Right here comes up a point where the power boat men may profit from their experience this year. it is common courtesy and custom at big regattas for all cruising craft to anchor with the fleet. having a boat of any size, no one but a lubber moors along the shore and this practice among the power boat men occasioned no little comment by men well versed in yachting etiquette. It certainly looked out of place to see even the small 16-foot craft riding snugly to their anchors in the open roadstead and presenting a truly nautical appearance while some of the big 50 and 60-foot power cruisers hugged the docks like cargo carriers waiting for a load.

No one will presume to deny that it is much more convenient to lie alongside a pier where owners and guests may go aboard and ashore at will without resorting to the use of small boats. Also it may be safer in case of severe squalls to have a snubbing post instead of a hook to hang to. But it isn't sailorlike. It smacks too much like streetcars and freighters and other commercial craft rather than pleasure yachting under a strict code of ethical routine.

In the case of small open boats and racing craft that do not tow or carry dinghys, exception must be made to the rule of anchorage. if the big boats would take to the open harbor where they belong, the little fellows would have their portion of much needed room. And the assembled fleet would represent a much grander and more fitting sight to those thousands who come to look on and enjoy the pleasures of the week.

On Monday morning the regatta opened in earnest. The sailors made for the race course, leaving the power boat men to take inventory and otherwise prepare for the week's visit. A great many boats came in during the day, among them the handsome cruiser, Wilanna, flagship of the Detroit Motor Boat Club, and a portion of the racing fleet from that city. Commodore Kotcher's arrival was the signal to pipe all hands and splice the carburetor as no man is better liked throughout the circuit of clubs than the genial, sport-loving flag officer of the largest power boat organization in the association..

Tuesday morning saw signs of activity among the red blooded power boat men who came to the regatta for a purpose. The Standard Oil Co. began to look like a dividend-paying corporation instead of a much maligned trust. Duffle went ashore and gasoline ran like water, while the grocery boy with his improvised tank wagon almost went crazy over his job. before noon the motors in the many cylindered speed boats began to rehearse their staccato chorus in unison with the less violent chug-chug of the slower boats. The committee completed the entry list and got their necks ready for the guillotine which was due to drop at 3 o'clock.

The race course was a mirror when the steamer Grandon anchored between Gibralter and Middle Bass and fired the preparatory gun for the cruiser race at 3 o'clock. The course lay out between Ballast and Middle Bass islands in a compass direction N.E. 1/4 E. to a spar buoy carrying a six foot flag. All classes were instructed to make the circuit down and back, leaving both starting flag and turning mark to port. The perfect weather and the prospects of spirited sport brought out the greatest assemblage of excursion and pleasure craft that ever attended the start of an Inter-Lake contest.

Before Mariner finished, the speed boats were getting up to the line as their gun was scheduled to go at 4:30. Up to this time the lookers on had been patient but they began to stir around when the last of the cruisers approached the line. Two minutes before the speed boats started, Pricilla shoved her long horn through the row of spectators and headed across the course some 60 yards behind the line. On she came apparently oblivious to the fact that something was going to happen. When the gun was fired she was square in the middle of the back stretch and had Scripps and Stuart blocked in their rush for the start.

The boats lying close up to the start got away promptly, Silver Fizz ahead with Key West, Trespass and Red Raven close alongside. Winton made a long detour, sweeping down at full speed on the starting signal. he shot under Pricilla's bowsprit, missing the bobstay by inches. Commodore Winton later said that he never saw the big boat at all and that it was pure luck that he didn't hit her.. Only supreme nerve and quick handling saved Scripps. He checked and swung under the schooner's stern so that he and Stuart were the last boats to get away.

Winton actually pounced upon the leaders and it was a sight indeed to see the white flyer leap through swells of the slower boats into the lead. In the space of half a mile she had shaken the last one and had clear water ahead. The strain, however, was too much and the exhaust header on the two forward cylinders let go. Things began to get blue under the hood when the Commodore decided to quit. he was picked up between Ballast and Middle bass.

Silver Fizz and Rainmaker took the pace when Winton withdrew and they had a great battle all the way to the turn. The former is a 35-foot semi-speed hull with American & British motor, four cylinders, turning a standard 19 inch wheel, while the latter is swinging an 18 by 24 inch propeller. The latter is only 26 feet long and was sure kicking up some dust for a little boat. Armstrong finally drove her into the lead and she held it to the finish.

Scripps had an up-hill race, taking the swells of the whole fleet as she put them behind her at steady intervals. This craft who is new to our readers, is the well-known 39-foot General hull equipped with six cylinder Scripps engine driving a 17 by 40 inch wheel. She was handled by her new owner, W. E. Scripps. On the home stretch she overhauled Silver Fizz and was closing in on Rainmaker. The finish between these two leaders was a hair raiser but the Gray craft saved herself by a few feet and got the gun at 4:57:14. The difference in finish time was only one second. Both boats averaged better than 22 miles an hour.

Silver Fizz finished third 21 seconds behind Scripps, making the course in 27:36, and average speed of 21.73 miles an hour. There was an interval of almost five minutes before Key West shoved her long black nose between the judges and the flag at 5:02:10. She is owned by F. R. Still, Rear-Commodore of the Detroit M.B.C., and is an exceptionally seaworthy and consistent performer. She enjoyed the unique distinction of being the only starter in the class that had no manufacturer's reputation to sustain. Key West's speed was 18.63 miles an hour.

Following Mr. Still came Red raven with Mr. F.E. Wadsworth of the Detroit Boat Co. at the helm. Her finish time was 5:03:19 and her speed exactly 18 miles. Red Raven is longer, wider and heavier than Silver Fizz and it would be a stretch of the imagination to call her a speed boat as the term is generally understood. She is just a bright finished, high-sided runabout. Trespass, another Wadsworth product, finished almost a minute behind Red Raven. She is an exact duplicate of the former in every detail but at no time in the series did her speed equal 18 miles. Her rate in the free for all was 17.64 miles an hour.

Half a minute behind Trespass came Stuart, the dark horse entry hailing from Solvay, by nominally entered by Mr. Lloyd of the Detroit B.C.Y. She averaged 17.39 miles an hour, which proved later to be no indication of her actual speed. Lemon, the fourth member of the Wadsworth fleet, finished eighth about a minute behind Stuart, her average speed being 16.98 miles an hour.

The last boat to finish was Red Devil at 5:06:40. The average observer rather pitied her for being the pickle boat and failed to observe how smoothly and evenly she was traveling and how well equipped she was to maintain her rated speed of 16.36 miles an hour.

With the exception of Gray Six , which does not figure in the summary, Red Devil was the smallest boat in the class. The hull us a Florida skate model with flaring bow and flat stern. She was called DeMooy last season and is familiarly known by that name.

O.P. DeMars of the Cleveland Y.C. Bought her this spring, ripped out her old power plant, put in a midget six cylinder outfit and completed the transformation by painting her a wicked red. The owner is an engine crank and there is not a whim of this little machine he does not know.

Morgan , of Algonac, Medusa III , of Sandusky, and Douhet , of Lakewood, although entered before the regatta, failed to put in appearance. of the 23 starters during the afternoon, only one, Winton , did not finish. Conditions had been perfect, and it was considered a very satisfactory afternoon's sport.

The unfortunate interference of Pricilla was the single hitch in the schedule and it brought forth the only protest of the regatta -- a statement from Mr. Scripps saying that his delay at the start had caused his defeat by Rainmaker . The judges decided Wednesday noon to sustain the protest and ordered the race re-run between Rainmaker and Scripps to decide the winner. The rules stated that every starter was entitled to clear room for a distance of 100 yards behind the line and that interference within the limit was a cause for disqualification. Scripps' right to protest was clearly justified in view of the close finish. Mr. Mulford later in the week refused to send Rainmaker against Scripps and the latter ran down the course alone and took the time prize pennant by default. All hands acknowledged that Scripps had the faster boat and was entitled to the honor.

That blunder of Pricilla's captain caused the writer more trouble and aroused more talk than any other incident of the week. it especially emphasized the fact that there is great liability of such accidental interference when there are so many pleasure boats about the starting line. it would seem very wise in the future to require the speed boats to approach within 40 yards of the line at least and to take their own chances of accident behind that point. A jogging start is not so spectacular but it is safer in a big fleet of flyers.

Tuesday evening was set aside for a meeting at headquarters to discuss the rules and talk over conditions of the handicap races the following day. A petition signed by the racing men in class C permitted Winton and Gray No. 6 , both of which failed to qualify in the free for all to run for rating Wednesday morning and enter the handicap events. No protest against the rules or the printed conditions was lodged with the committee and about all that worried the contestants was the reduction of that 3 per cent to minutes and seconds. On that point they figured and argued among themselves for hours.

Wednesday morning was typical of Put-In-Bay in midsummer. a warm sou-west breeze set the yachts against their hawsers while the bright sun put a flash on every ripple. it was the only day of the week that was not ushered in by an east wind.

The day's schedule called for four handicap races, the cruisers to West Sister Island and return, the launches, 10 miles, and the speed boats two races of 10 and 20 miles each.

At 2:50 a warning gun brought the speed boats to the scene of action while the judges boarded the Grandon and settled down for the afternoon's work. At 3 o'clock Gray No. 6 having taken a rating of 15.78 miles an hour, started the ball rolling in the 10-mile class C handicap. Red Devil followed at 3:01:21 and the others left the line in reverse order of their finish on Tuesday with exactly the difference in time made in the free for all, allowed them for handicap. Nothing could have been simpler and it was infinitely fair. Furthermore, conditions were just as perfect as on Tuesday.

Only two boats, Scripps and Stuart , went crazy and upset the dope sheet. The former dropped Rainmaker almost on the gun, and began to beat it through the fleet like a jack rabbit. Before she got to Ballast Island, on the return trip, she had passed every boat but Stuart . When these two hove in sight, it was evident they were ahead of their time. The little black craft was piling up the water trying to escape from the deadly pursuit of the long, lean, white flyer, and she just made the line a second before Scripps whizzed by. The helmsman on the latter swung around and started down the course again, narrowly avoiding a collision with Stuart and the judge's boat. He hadn't read the rules and was going twice around.

Scripps finished at 3:35:54, having made the 10 miles in 24:48, an average speed of 24.21 miles an hour. Her performance figured out 110 per cent and she was disqualified. Stuart averaged 18.6 miles an hour, on a 107 per cent performance, effectually barring her from the day's record.

The real race was run when Lemon, Rainmaker and Red Devil crossed the line in a space of 10 seconds. They exceeded their rated speed slightly but were well within the 3 per cent limit. Another 100 yards would have given Rainmaker the victory over Lemon . She passed Red Devil within a stone's throw of the line. Trespass was 13 seconds behind Red Devil . Then came Red Raven, Key West and Silver Fizz. Gray No. 6 withdrew somewhere along the route.

Seven boats -- the whole class except the disqualified and disabled ones -- finishing in 39 seconds! The actual performance rule may be a failure, but that finish fails to prove it. The slowest boat made 16.5 miles and the fastest 22.3 miles, so they must have been handicapped some to go 10 miles and lap each other at the tape. it will be many a moon before a closer race is run at Put-In-Bay.

At 4:30 the speed boats appeared for their final 20-mile handicap race after almost an hour's rest. They were handicapped on the same basis as the first race. Gray Six did not respond to her gun so that Red Devil was the limit boat. Lemon was second and so on down the line until Rainmaker took up the chase.

Red Devil held her head the first round with Stuart right in her wake and overhauling her fast. The Solvay boat went out ahead, as usual, and romped home way ahead of her handicap, exceeding her rated speed by 9 per cent or almost six minutes.

The actual race for first place and the championship was between Red Devil and Rainmaker . Both were in fine form and were beating their earlier records by dangerous margins. In the home stretch the Gray flyer overhauled De Mars and fairly jumped by him, beating him across the line by five seconds. That final rush was fatal, as Rainmaker ran nine seconds over 103 per cent, while Red Devil was almost half a minute under the penalty. Understand, the per cent performance upon which the result is based is determined by dividing the rated time by the elapsed time. That allowable 3 per cent therefore varies very much when comparing the slowest and the fastest boats in the race.

This same point is very well known in the case of the next two boats, Key West and Red Raven . They ran absolutely a dead heat, crossing the line at 5:45:16, yet Key West being the faster boat, takes a slightly higher per cent performance and is entitled to second place in the summary. Silver Fizz was 29 seconds behind Wadsworth's boat and 36 seconds ahead of Trespass . The latter boat, together with Lemon , which finished last, ran slower than they did in the free for all.

Scripps had clutch trouble and simply jogged the course, his time not being taken.

There's a moral in the figures taken from the actual results of the races as we have described them: It says, among other things, that neither the fastest nor the slowest boat is necessarily the best boat. The machinery must be dependable. and the operator must use rare good judgment. if he exercises good discretion in preparation and execution, perhaps he may "beat the rule," to use a commonplace expression. But every other operator has the same privilege and if he fails to comprehend the conditions and neglects to take every fair advantage offered him, he has no more kick coming than other also rans in any walk of life.

Just a few words, before we close, about the features of the 1908 regatta which do not show up on the race sheets. Commodore Worthington may well feel proud of the success of his administration. His program of entertainment was a continuous joyful sound and it echoed and re-echoed from the broad verandas of the Victory to the cozy cabin under Pricilla's main deck. The Commodore is a prince of good fellows, a perfect host afloat and a shore, and his example of dignified hospitality magnetized the whole community with good humor.

When things lagged a bit, Verdi's band came to the rescue and their music was a great relief from the dance hall variety common along the "board walk." The illumination of the fleet and the fireworks on Wednesday evening offered the thousands of yachtsmen and visitors a gorgeous spectacle. Excursions came in from every town along the Ohio shore until the oldest inhabitant had to admit that the Bay never before saw so many people.

All in all, the week was a memorable one in yachting history -- one to be long remembered and with which those that follow will probably be compared in less degree. There were disappointments and mistakes, but nothing of serious nature to mar the recollection of the fair minded man. For human nature in its leisure moments is prone to be moody and fickle -- to quote the words of Bobby Burns,

"The best laid schemed o' mice an' men, Gang aft a-gley'

The future success of the Inter-Lake Association rests largely with the power boat men. That's something to think about.

--O.P. DeMars

(Excerpts transcribed from PowerBoating , September, 1908, pp.436-451)

[Thanks to Greg Calkins for help in preparing this page. —LF]

Hydroplane History Home Page This page was last revised Thursday, April 01, 2010 . Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. Email us at [email protected] © Leslie Field, 2001

Home  About  Our Organization  History

Our Organization

Us sailing was originally organized as the north american yacht racing union (nayru) on october 30, 1897, the founding members were:.

• Inter-Lake Yachting Association
• New York Racing Association
• Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association
• Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound
• Yacht Racing Association in Massachusetts
• Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club

The organization’s original purpose was to encourage and promote yacht racing, and to unify the racing and rating rules in the United States and Canada and throughout the yachting world.

In 1898, NAYRU asked Aemilius Jarvis of Toronto and Joseph M. MacDonough of San Francisco to confer with the Yacht Racing Association of the U.K. “upon the measurement rule question and other subjects of interest to yachtsmen.” When their efforts were not successful, NAYRU apparently became dormant until Clifford D. Mallory revived it in 1925.

According to the original constitution, NAYRU’s authority stemmed from consent of its members and member associations over which it exercised jurisdiction in an advisory capacity. Today, its authority comes instead from an act of Congress (the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act of 1978) and a much broader charter to serve America’s sailors directly.

In 1927, President Mallory and Clinton H. Crane (later President 1942-1949) attended a conference held by the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU, now known as World Sailing). The purpose was to consider changes in the IYRU measurement rule known as the International Rule, which was beginning to replace the Universal Rule. Two years later NAYRU sent delegates to another IYRU conference, at which a uniform code of right-of-way rules for racing was agreed upon. Those racing rules prevailed until 1948, when NAYRU adopted a new code conceived by Harold S. Vanderbilt.

NAYRU soon developed long and continuous associations with the IYRU and the Offshore Racing Council, which have included initiating unified racing rules in 1960 and simplified racing rules for 1997, creating offshore rating rules such as the IOR and IMS, and developing strong one-design class organizations.

Past Presidents

Counselors of honor.

• Henry H. Anderson, Jr.
• Janet C. Baxter
• James B. Capron
• Robert H. Hobbs
• David H. Irish
• Gary Jobson
• William C. Martin
• James P. Muldoon
• David Rosekrans

Copyright ©2018-2024 United States Sailing Association. All rights reserved. US Sailing is a 501(c)3 organization. Website designed & developed by Design Principles, Inc. -->

Long Point Bay Yacht Club

Welcoming 2024  and your new lpbyc board of directors.

2024 is shaping up to be a great year on the water. This year, we have a refreshed board of directors – and some new members – and we want to hear from each of you! I hope you’ll take five minutes to share your thoughts in this brief survey. We’ll use what we learn from the survey to better plan events and activities for you in 2024:

Here’s a link to our member survey: Long Point Bay Yacht Club Membership Survey

Our new board has already met to set out some of the events we’ll hold this year. And with that, I’m pleased to introduce our 2024  board of di rectors :

Commodore - Paul Lipsit

Vice Commodore  - vacant

Past Commodore - Derrick Yeomans

Treasurer - Lynn Davies

Secretary - Sharon Lipsit

Membership - Jan Green

Cruising/Reciprocals - Steve Redmond

Marketing and Communications  - Judy Redmond

Website - Allan Davies

BBQ - Doug Cunningham

Directors at Large - Doug Cunningham, Eric Becker, Troy Wilson

Lighthouse ​Web Cam:

Port Dover Power and Sail Squadron have installed a web cam looking toward Potahawk from the end of the pier at Port Dover. Excellent tool to check out the weather on the bay. Click  Port Dover Power and Sail Squadron.  Select "WEATHER/WEBCAM" on the top right corner of their home page to view.

Planned 2024 Events  :

Sunday, May 19 at 9-11 a.m. - Membership-drive breakfast (Non-members welcome).   ​

Saturday, June 8 at 7 p.m. - Members’ Wine and Cheese Social

Sunday, June 9 at 9-11 a.m. - Sailpast ( Weather-permitting | Non-members welcome | Skipper’s meeting at 9 a.m. ​​ ​

Saturday, July 13 at 7 p.m. - Members’ Pot Luck Dinner

Saturday, August 3-5 -  (long weekend) - Erie Rendezvous

Saturday, August 17 - Poker Run, 50/50, and $1 hot dogs! / Members’ Margarita party

Saturday, September 14 - Closing Dinner and Annual General Meeting

Boat Parade is July 1st

The board and I look forward to an exciting year of boating, events, and camaraderie in 2024.

Wishing you all a great boating season. See you on the water!

Fair Winds,

Paul Lipsit

Commodore, Long Point Bay Yacht Club

Reciprocals

Inter-Lake Yachting Association (ILYA)

Nearly all private yacht clubs around the lakes require visitors to be members of a reciprocal club. Long Point Bay Yacht Club is a member of the Inter Lakes Yachting Association (ILYA) which is an association of dozens of the Yacht Clubs situated around the Great Lakes. This allows our members to enjoy the hospitality of the member clubs on a reciprocal basis. 

Cruising Destinations

Adventures on Lake Erie

Whether you're a power boater or a sailor, if you enjoy Cruising from port to port, anchorage to anchorage or marina to marina and want to enjoy the safety and camaraderie of traveling with like minded adventurers, check us out!! 

S/V Catherine and Zambezi

S/V Sea Wolf