Annual Wine and Roses Regatta returns to benefit Make-A-Wish

SANTA BARBARA ― The Wine and Roses Regatta returns to Santa Barbara’s Leadbetter Beach, Aug. 19-20, to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Santa Barbara Yacht Club hosts the two-day charity regatta highlighted by catamarans racing in the Pacific.

Dray Murray, owner of murrays.com, organizes the catamaran races. His company manufactures catamaran parts and sailboat rigging.

“We are really into getting more people on the water from local boat owners to youth and Masters,” Murray stated.

Santa Barbara Yacht Club will be hosting a dinner and charity auction on Saturday night, Aug. 19. Funds from the silent auction and raffle will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The silent auction will begin Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. in the lobby of Santa Barbara Yacht Club.

Wine and Roses Regatta launched 22 years ago and is a division within the California State Catamaran Championship.

Regular registration for the charity regatta continues through Aug. 10. Registration fees – which include race entry, t-shirt and swag – are $100 for a two-person boat and $80 for a one-person vessel; youth skippers (21 and under) must pay $50. A late fee of $20 will be added to all registrations after Aug. 10.

On-site registration is available 8-10 a.m., Aug. 19.

The largest classes in these races are the Hobie 16, 18 and 20s.

Murray’s goal is to get more classes involved in the races, “including new Nacra 15s, which is the new semi foiling Olympic trainer boats, as well as F18s, Wettas and the growing youth and masters division on the Hobie waves.”

Notice of race and online registration are available online at regattanetwork.com/event/15248.

First race is Aug. 19 at 8 a.m., with more races held the following day.

Contact Murray at dray@murrays.com or 805-450-0886 for more information.

Marc Simmel photo