Regatta sails along despite light winds.

Byline: Jim Feehan The Register-Guard

Oh, but for a little more wind.

Anxious skippers waited nearly two hours for the Eugene Yacht Club's Memorial Day Regatta to begin on Sunday.

But by midday a swift breeze hit Fern Ridge Lake, much to the delight of about 100 sailboat skippers who were hoping for a little wind beneath their sails.

"Eight to 12 knots is ideal, but we're barely above 6 knots," said Dale Lindley of the Eugene Yacht Club. "We're going to have some slow times today."

But the slower times didn't spoil the regatta.

"The thrill to set sail and pull as much wind as possible behind me is what gets me going," Lindley said.

The regatta, celebrating its 40th anniversary, is one of the premier sailing classics on the West Coast, attracting competitors from San Diego to Seattle, said Rex Ballinger, regatta chairman.

Ten categories of boats competed in the two-day regatta, which began Saturday. There was even a category for catamarans and huge triple-hull boats.

Smaller boats - 16 feet or less - competed at the far north end of the lake near the dam, while larger boats - 16 to 31 feet - raced in the middle of the lake. Races were four to five miles long with boats racing around two large orange buoys.

Within sailing circles, the regatta attracts some of the best, said Brad Sarty of Springfield. Sarty recently moved to the area from Florida where he raced competitively.

Fern Ridge offers consistent winds, which is good for small and big boats alike, he said.

Brian Keeffe of Seattle referred to Fern Ridge as a "cool little spot" to sail. Keeffe, who has been sailing for eight years, said the sport's subtle nuances appeal to him.

"Everything is gentle about sailing, whether it's a gentle breeze behind your sails, or a gentle tap on the rudder," he said.

The solitude of watching a sailing race from the shore on a lazy Sunday afternoon brought Mark Hansen of Eugene to Fern Ridge Lake.

"I'm just going to sit here and watch the boats for a while," he said.

The excitement of outmaneuvering your opponent makes competitive sailing exciting, Sarty said.

"It's the fastest six miles an hour you'll ever go," he said.

CAPTION(S):

Sailboats gather around the start-finish boat Sunday at the Eugene Yacht Club's 40th Memorial Day Regatta at Fern Ridge Lake. Ten categories of boats competed in the two-day event. Wayne Eastburn / The Register-Guard Wayne Eastburn / The Register-Guard Photographer Colin Morton waits for the wind to fill the sails of one of the nearly 100 sailboats at the Eugene regatta.