Southern Yacht Club hosts fourth annual Southern Nichols team regatta

8:07 PM Wed 3 Mar 2010 GMT

'Racing in Southern Soiland Team Regatta, Novmber, 2009 - Southern Nichols Team Regatta' Bob Maher Click Here to view large photo

Teams from New York, Boston, London and the Gulf Coast will converge on Lake Pontchartrain this weekend to compete in Southern Yacht Club's fourth annual Southern Nichols Team Regatta.

The event was launched when New York Yacht Club donated a trophy to Southern Yacht Club after most of SYC's trophies were destroyed in the fire that followed Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Southern Yacht Club opened its new clubhouse September 12, 2009.

Southern Yacht Club new building that opened September 12, 2009 - Southern Nichols Team Regatta - Bob Maher Click Here to view large photo

Southern is the defending champion of the event, which will be sailed in Flying Scots. The competition was changed to a master's regatta last year, requiring skippers to be 45 or older and crew to be 40 or older.

This year's competitors include: New York Yacht Club, Boston Yacht Club, Royal Thames Yacht Club (London), Bay-Waveland Yacht Club, New Orleans Yacht Club, Buccaneer Yacht Club (Mobile, AL) and defending champion Southern, which has two teams entered.

Racing will begin Saturday at 1000, with no race starting after 1500 on Sunday. The course will be set close to the Lake Pontchartrain seawall, so spectators on land will be able to have a good view of the close-quarter sailing characteristic of team racing.

SYC burge and logo - Southern Nichols Team Regatta -

Regatta officials intend to sail one or two round-robins and possibly a championship round, depending on conditions. The Notice of Regatta and details are available at www.southernyachtclub.org