The Cats Are Back

Schroon Lake becomes the canvas this weekend  for a fleet or brightly colored catamarans who will set sale from the Town Dock.

It’s the 3rd annual Hobie Cat regatta featuring Fleet 204 from Oneida Lake in Cicero, New York.

The event is proudly sponsored by the Schroon Lake Association and has been natured by a group of volunteers lead by Glen Repko.

“Schroon Lake has good north and south winds quite a bit of the time, and there’s an open area between the town beach and Word of Life Island, where we can set up a buoy system and run the race effectively,” Glen said. “People can sit on the banks of the lake and watch the racers as they go by. We also have long sandy beaches, so the boats can be beached easily. It makes for a nice venue.”

Glen was instrumental in bringing the Fleet here four years ago for a trial run.

Since then the event has grown in to one of the premier events on the lake, where the Cats have free run, before the large numbers of summer boaters arrive.

The event begins at 9am each day. The friendly sailors  — from up and down the east coast — are always happy to chat about their sport.

“People can just show up, and when the boats come in they can go for a ride,” Glen said. “It’s a safe sport. You can get out on the water, you can go fast on the water, and just enjoy the fresh air and the wind.”