Photo by Bev Dolezal
Formerly a quiet resort town where the snowbirds flock to in the winter, Clearwater has evolved into a world class sailing area thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers at the Clearwater Yacht Club.
Residents and tourists who glanced out in the Gulf from Feb 22- Feb 25 were treated to a beautiful sight of over 210 sailboats competing in the Laser Midwinter's East regatta hosted by the Clearwater Yacht Club and with close cooperation from the Clearwater Community Sailing Center.
A closer look at the sails on these sleek laser boats revealed that the sailors were from many different countries, and had traveled great distances with their families to compete in Clearwater. Along with the sail numbers, three letters indicate where the sailor hails from, and although there was a predominance of USA sails out on the race course, there were many sails that indicated what an international event this regatta truly was. VEN (Venezula), ISV (Virgin Islands), PUR (Puerto Rico), CAN (Canada), SUI (Switzerland), BVI (British Virgin Islands), ESP (Spain), GBR (Great Britain) LTU (Lithuania) were just some of the countries that sent their best young sailors to vie for a top position in this International Sailing Federation's Grade I event.
Since its birth in 1911, Clearwater Yacht Club has slowly and quietly built a reputation for having an excellent race committee. Many of the members are trained to run races and an event such as the Laser Midwinter's involve hundreds of volunteers to help organize and achieve a successful regatta.
At the Feb. 25th Awards ceremony at the Clearwater Sailing Center, there were no less than six past, present and future commodores of Clearwater Yacht Club on hand to congratulate the young sailors for their wonderful achievements.
Despite four days of intense sailing which left everyone exhausted and weather beaten, the participants and their families, as well as all the volunteers, were all still smiling as they had once again shared a tremendous experience. New friendships were formed, promises of "see you soon" made and as the last sailor headed for home, it was glaringly obvious that the town of Clearwater was the biggest winner of all.
