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Progressive Presents
the I-LYA Bay Week Regattas sponsored by GMC
Variety of Events Offers
Something for Everyone
While Lake Erie may be the
smallest of the Great Lakes, come July it will seem
like the largest when hundreds of boating
enthusiasts gather on it to participate in the
Inter-Lake Yachting Association (I-LYA) Bay Week
Regattas presented by Progressive, a leading boat
insurer and the number one seller of personal
watercraft insurance in the country, and sponsored
by GMC. Held at Put-in-Bay, South Bass Island, Ohio,
the I-LYA Bay Week Regattas encompass three separate
events to challenge nautical abilities: the Junior
Regatta (July 13-17), the Powerboat Regatta (July
30-August 3); and the Sailing Regatta (August 4-6).
A quaint Victorian resort village, Put-in-Bay lures
participants back to the I-LYA Bay Week Regattas
again and again with its charm and ambience.
Considered the jewel in the crown of Lake Erie’s
Ohio islands, Put-in-Bay was made famous as the
squadron home port of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
who won the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of
1812. In addition to the natural beauty of the area,
the surrounding islands offer tactical racing
challenges that allow the I-LYA Bay Week Regattas to
provide both hard-core competition as well as
extreme recreational fun.
“Many of our participants have been racing in Bay
Week since they were young kids,” said I-LYA
Commodore Jack Atkinson (Elyria, Ohio). “As adults
they are eager to return with their own families, to
reunite with friends they met as competitors
on-the-water, and to create new memories centered on
this wonderful summer tradition in this special
place.”
Contributing to the rich maritime heritage of the
area, the I-LYA was formed in 1885 to promote the
interest of boat owners and other members. It is not
only the oldest yacht racing association in the
country but also one of the largest, with 146 member
yacht clubs located in the states that surround Lake
Erie: Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania and the Canadian province of Ontario.
The I-LYA Bay Week Junior Regatta at Put-in-Bay
features more than 160 juniors (ages 13-18) racing
in five one-design classes: Thistle, 420, Club FJ,
Laser and Laser Radial. Sailing in one-design
classes places the emphasis on the skill of the
competitor, rather than the equipment. Held annually
for over 50 years, the Junior Regatta is also a
stepping-stone to the US SAILING national junior
sailing championships for the Sears Cup, Bemis and
Smythe Trophies, serving as the Area E
Quarter-Finals for these ladder events.
Backed by 115 years of tradition, the I-LYA Bay Week
Sailing Regatta has long been a proving ground for
some of the best sailors and fastest boats on the
Great Lakes. It regularly encompasses the national
championship of various participating classes, and
racers, from pre-teens to veterans of 30+ years, can
compete in classes for Handicap (LE-PHRF, JAM, MORC,
Offshore Multihull); One-Design (Interlake, Thistle,
JY15); Offshore One-Design (Tartan 10, J/22, J/24,
J/105, Beneteau 36.7); and One-Design Centerboard &
Catamaran. A Cruising Class offering optional casual
racing is also available. Generating buzz for 2008
is the Melges 24 fleet from Detroit who will make
their first appearance at this event.
The I-LYA Deepwater Races are feeder races (Friday,
August 1, from Cleveland; Saturday, August 2, from
Sandusky, Port Clinton and Toledo; and Sunday,
August 3, from Detroit) that will see those
respective fleets navigate the challenging waters
around the Bass Islands to assemble at the bustling
waterfront of Put-in-Bay in time to participate in
the Sailing Regatta. While the feeder races are
optional, they offer an exciting and fun way to
prepare for the I-LYA Bay Week Sailing Regatta.
Whether cruising or racing to Put-In-Bay,
participants will find reserved spots at the City
Docks with docking charges covered by the event
entry fee.
When racing gets underway on Monday, August 4 the
many moods of Lake Erie will test sailors with
challenging wind shifts, current and notorious chop
while they navigate the islands and reefs. After
racing, the sailors can look forward to shore-based
social activities including the Captain Morgan Rum
party, the Deepwater Awards, Ladies Tea and Sailors’
Steak Fry.
Open to all racing classes participating in the I-LYA
Bay Week Sailing Regatta, the Third Annual Tri-Area
Challenge will be decided among teams from
Cleveland, Detroit and the Western Lake Erie Basin.
Boats registered for the regatta will automatically
become eligible and be included in the scoring for
no additional fee. The winning area will receive a
cash prize of $1,000 to be distributed to their
Junior program, along with a case of Captain Morgan
Rum for the sailors.
Since 1908 when the Class C speed boat Rainmaker
won the main event at an average speed of 22.04
knots, the I-LYA Bay Week Power Boat Regatta has
been one of the most festive and fun family events
on Lake Erie. The best performer in the four tests
of seamanship, boat handling and overall knowledge
-- predicted log races, docking, chicane
(maneuvering a sequence of tight serpentine curves)
and weather prediction - will be awarded the
Commodore’s Trophy. The action continues with a
Flying Mile Contest (timed by radar gun in a 500'
area), Junior Navigation Contest, Canoe and
Inflatable Raft Races, Miniature Golf Outing, Kids
Fishing Derby, Softball Game and Golf Scrambles. An
adult party, sponsored by Captain Morgan Rum, is
also a welcome favorite on the social events list.
Registration will close two weeks in advance of the
sail regatta, and on June 2 for the power regatta.
For online registration, the Notice of Race and
additional information, visit www.i-lya.com; or
contact the individual event chairmen: Phil Moehle,
Junior Regatta Chairman, moefam@roadrunner.com; Ed
Skoch, Sailing Regatta Chairman, ejskoch@oh.rr.com;
or Alan Chapman, Power Boat Regatta Chairman,
sailor224@aol.com.
Presenting sponsors for 2008 are Progressive
Insurance and GMC.
Supporting sponsors for 2008 are long-time sponsor
West Marine, as well as La-Z-Boy and Lakeland
Boating.
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