Rockaway Regatta
It's a Go!
Make your Reservations now!
Saturday & Sunday, August 30 - 31, 2008
Racing at Lake Lytle is not new. In fact, in the 60's and 70's, Rockaway Beach was host to American Powerboat Association (APBA) events on an annual basis. In the 80's and 90's, a group of "wildcat" racers put on events at the lake. But the racing ended in the late 90's, as the wildcatters quit racing or went back to APBA events. CORA investigated new race sites after losing their site in Sutherlin, Oregon, and found Rockaway Beach to be a prime location for their Labor Day weekend date. With the approval and support of the City of Rockaway Beach, Tillamook County, and the Oregon State Marine Board, CORA brought outboard racing back to Lake Lytle Labor Day weekend 2007. A small but eager field of 47 entries enjoyed good weather, good racing, and good times. CORA hopes that more entries in in future years will make the race viable financially as well.
The pit area is small, but there is lots of launch area. We'll be assigning parking for race trailers (tow vehicles will need to be parked outside of the pits), and we encourage "trailer buddies".
Unfortunately, the Decemeber storms beat the docks up pretty good. The Starting line dock will be repaired in plenty of time. The pit docks were hit harder, but they are less of an issue. We're hoping the governments involved can have something ready to go by Labor Day. If not, no worries - we'll make it work.
The water can be nice, but the wind will come up like it did Sunday afternoon last year. We'll try to get started a little earlier (10 AM) and run things off quick like Cullaby so we can hit the beach!
Here's a shot Barlett got on his morning coffee run last year.