One More Time Regatta keeps wooden boats on the water

MARINA DEL REY – The 40th annual One More Time Regatta, one of the oldest races in Southern California, heads to Marina del Rey for all to enjoy on June 20. The race is the second race in the California Classic Yacht Series.

“As the number of wooden boats on the water steadily decreases we are trying hard to encourage wooden boat owners to keep their boats alive,” explained Chris Frost, Wooden Hull Yacht Club’s staff commodore. “Getting out on the water with other woodies is one of our main ways of doing this.”

Del Rey Yacht Club and the Wooden Hull YC are hosting one of Los Angeles’ remaining sailboat races with the One More Time Regatta standing as the second in a three-race series. The California Classic Yacht Series kicked off May 9 with the annual Yesteryear Regatta hosted by the Ancient Mariners Sailing Society in San Diego and concludes with the McNish Classic on July 18 hosted by Pacific Corinthian YC in Oxnard.

The race is open to all wooden hulled sailboats. With a pursuit style start and a range of classes, all woody sailors are welcome to participate in the regatta. According to race organizers boats of every size and rig configuration have participated from a 17-foot Thistle to a 98-foot Bloodhound.

“We have had schooners, ketches, cutters, Gaff and Marconi sailplans, a replica of the original America, a 1916 seabird yawl and custom built yachts costing well in excess of six figures,” said race chairman Andy Kopetski.

Kopetski added the race historically has featured a number of luminaries such as Dennis Conner and America’s Cup yacht designer Doug Peterson and boats previously owned by Errol Flynn, Bob Dylan and Humphrey Bogart.

The race has three reaching legs and one weatherly leg. Participants will race on a 15.8 nautical mile course in Santa Monica Bay and celebrate the winners during an awards ceremony at Del Rey YC. 

“It is informal and new racers are encouraged,” Kopetski said.

Spectators are invited to cheer from shore or from the water on a private boat or by making prior arrangements with race organizers. 

To register, visit tinyurl.com/kg8yav8 or dryc.org/racing for more information. 

One thought on “One More Time Regatta keeps wooden boats on the water

  • September 11, 2017 at 1:03 pm
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    I was the lone fiberglass powerboat acting as the windward mark at the first WHOA race (which was a fog-bound drift) and running racecourse errands at the first “One More Time” regatta that followed as a windy, howling affair. At that skipper’s meeting, a Harbor Patrol rep showed up to warn us of the high winds, and everybody whooped and hollared 🙂 A wild ride that day, I even picked up a sailor knocked overboard by a 2-sailboat sideswipe collision.

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