subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Wed, Nov 25 2009 

Published: July 20, 2008 04:29 pm    print this story  

YOUNGSTOWN: Ready for regatta

35th Annual Youngstown Level Regatta set for this weekend

By Dan Miner
E-mail Dan

Niagara Gazette

Hundreds of sailboats will pull up to the Youngstown Yacht Club Thursday night and into Friday, signaling the village’s biggest event of the year.

The 35th annual Youngstown Level Regatta will begin with a street party for the locals beginning 6 p.m. Thursday on Main Street.

Races will take place on Saturday and Sunday — with spectators lining up on the shores and on their boats in the water — and the event will wrap up with an awards ceremony at the Yacht Club on Sunday afternoon.

“This is the weekend we look forward to all year, for business,” said Bruce Paeplow, owner of the Youngstown Motel.

The regatta, started by village resident Don Finkle in 1972, has grown from a small 20 boat gathering to one of the country’s largest races of its kind, said Dick Roach, a member of the Yacht Club’s Board of Directors. Organizers are expecting an orderly 2,000 out-of-towners to the tiny village (est. population, 1,891) this year.

“The biggest thing is we’re stressing the racing and having a good time,” Roach said. “We want to cover our costs and make money on it, but mostly we want it to be great racing and a fun event for everybody.”

The Yacht Club runs the event in cooperation with the village.

Races are broken up into different types at the regatta — by both the class and length of a boat and by a handicapped rating system similar in some ways to golf, Roach said. It attracts experienced, “top-drawer” sailors from nearby areas and all over the Great Lakes.

About 10 races will be ongoing at a time, put together by professional race organizers who set courses based on the wind direction.

The event means as much village businesses as it does to the sailors who make the weekend trek to race.

“It really has a wonderful impact on the village,” said Sue MacNaughton, owner of The Dory on Main Street. She later added, “All the accommodations are booked in Youngstown and the surrounding area. For the restaurants, it’s great.”

Village Mayor Neil Riordan said the event affords the village prestige and a welcome economic boost.

“As one of the world’s largest and most famous level regattas, prestige alone is something the village welcomes,” he said. “And certainly the diversity of our Main Street businesses look forward to the onset of the crowd.”

During the day when races are happening, the village doesn’t look much different than usual, MacNaughton said. But in the evening, the racers and the people they know make the village a busy place.

There are other special moments for MacNaughton, as well. She enjoys watching the boats launch from the dock in the morning and hearing the national anthems on Saturday morning.

“With the recognition this little village gets for holding this event, and remembering it’s an all-volunteer run regatta and many of the volunteers are also village residents, it’s just very positive,” she said.

print this story  

Photos


A shot of some of the participants of 2000’s Level Regatta waiting out a storm — which is clearing in the distance — in the Niagara River off of Youngstown. The regatta, coming this weekend, is one of the premier sailing events held in Western New York each year. By Dennis Stierer/Niagara Gazette (Click for larger image)


The action isn’t just limited to the water during the Level Regatta, being held this weekend. Boaters fill the marina at the Youngstown Yacht Club during the 2005 event. By Doug Benz/Niagara Gazette (Click for larger image)



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Featured Jobs

Retail Manager
RETAIL Manager needed, exp needed, full time. Fax resumes to Hyde Park Laundry 285-8677....>MORE

BILINGUAL PHONE INTERVIEWER
Bilingual Telephone interviewer. Surveys for insurance policy review. Spanish/English a Must. ft/pt & Sat. No sales/coll...>MORE

Hospitality/Tourism Instructor
Hospitality/Tourism. NIAGARA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE is seeking applications for part-time instructor to teach hospita...>MORE

Recreational Aide
Recreational Aide - Full/part time. Performs hand on activities to include crafts, cooking, recreational and social acti...>MORE

Private Investigator
Private Investigator
Proven ability and equipment to conduct surveillance, background inquires and searches. 1-5 ye
...>MORE

OFFICE HELP
Office help, p/t, must have exc. computer/word processing skills, fax 877-2029 or jimshotwell@roadrunner.com, NO CALLS...>MORE

Adult Residential Services Administrator
HUMAN SERVICES
Progressive Niagara County Agency serving adults with psychiatric disabilties seeks an Adult Reside
...>MORE

Dental Reception
Maintenance
Supervisor
FT Maintenance Niagara Falls YMCA. HVAC, electr., plbg, carpentry, cleaning, pool. $13.
...>MORE

Nurse Practitioner
NURSE PRACTITIONER-CARDIOLOGY. Full time. NYS license with one year of recent coronary care or cardiovacular care experi...>MORE

SHIPPING CLERK
Shipping Clerk, p/t, 30-35 hrs. wk., exp. in warehouse environment, knowledge of Word/Excel, data entry, UPS, freight ch...>MORE

See all ads

Feature Autos

Ford 2001 Taurus
Ford 2001 Taurus Station wagon, well maintained, 112,000 miles Siver ext. 4 dr, auto, asking $2800/BO. 716-772-2454....>MORE

Ford 1999 Windstar
FORD 1999 WIndstar, LX, fully loaded, 38k miles, $3850. Excellent condition 860-4747...>MORE

1996 Ford Escort
FORD 1996 Escort 4 cyl, 2 dr, exc cond in & out, no rust, 1 owner, only 61k orig mi, $2195. 523-7102...>MORE

1984 Cadillac Eldorado
CADILLAC Eldorado 1984, runs, inspected, $500. 283-3552....>MORE

Chevy 1994 High Topper Van
CHEVY 1994 High topper van, high road miles, mechanically sound, $900 or bo, 716-510-8105...>MORE

Nissan 1993 4x4
NISSAN 1993 4x4, extended cab, bedliner cap, $1200 or best offer, 715-2450...>MORE

1996 Saturn Sport Coup
SATURN 1996 Sport coup, 4 cyl, auto, exc cond in & out, loaded, CD, no rust, 97k orig. mi, $2195. 523-7102....>MORE

Chevy 1995 Pickup
CHEVY 1995 Pickup truck, 4WD, 5 speed, must see, never had plow on it, $2800 bo, 804-5579...>MORE

Ford 1998 F150
FORD 1998 F150, standard cab, 4wd, excellent shape, $3495.
716-525-2889
...>MORE

Dodge 1993 Dakota 4x4
FORD 1999 WIndstar, LX, fully loaded, 38k miles, $3850. Excellent condition 860-4747...>MORE

See all ads





 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index