Thursday, July 11, 2024

Lorain Yacht Club Regatta Ad – July 10, 1954

Hey, our pal Reddy Kilowatt has an ad on this page!

Seventy years ago, Lorain was getting ready for the 25th Annual Lorain Yacht Club Regatta, which was taking place July 10th and 11th off Lakeview Park.

Above is the full-page ad for the Regatta that ran in the Lorain Journal on July 10, 1954. There was a pretty full schedule.

As the paper noted on the front page, "Lorain Yacht club's silver anniversary Regatta is under full power and sail today after getting underway with three sail class races run off this morning and 10 more scheduled for tomorrow morning.

"Thousands of spectators are expected to line the shore at Lakeview Park tomorrow. Special police will be on hand to direct the crowds and traffic.

"Favorite weather with temperatures in the near 90s has been forecast, and is expected to help swell the crowds.

"Between 8 and 8:30 p.m. today the Universal and Lighting races from Rocky River will cross the finish line. Captains and crews will be treated to a Regatta Ball at the Yacht Club's new building, behind the Coast Guard Station.

"The Walker Rubber Band of Detroit will be on hand, touring the waterfront and playing when the spirit moves them.

"A buffet dinner will end Saturday's scheduled festivities at midnight in the club house.

"Tomorrow doughnuts and coffee will be served at 7 a.m. at the club, with the sailboats again taking to the water all morning. In the afternoon the powerboats will start circling the buoys.

"The trophy awards luncheon for the sailing vessels will be at 1 p.m. Sunday with the power winners being named at 4 p.m."

Today, the Lorain Harbor Boat Club (LHBC) carries on the tradition of the Lorain Yacht Club, with a season-long program of sailboat races, regattas, a cruise week and various social events at its club located near the US Coast Guard station.


3 comments:

Don Hilton said...

Outboard races, upper-right corner.
I had to look up "BANG-GO-BACK."

The race is for boats of all classes, with a flying start. You head out from the starting line, full speed ahead, toward an obvious point or compass heading. After an unknown interval, the judges fire a cannon, and everyone swings starboard and races home.

I'm not quite sure I understand how they'd hear a cannon way out in the lake over the roar of an engine, but them's the rule.

Info from:
https://buckeyelakeyc.com/our-club/history/history-archives/the-way-we-were/the-blyc-bang-and-go-back-race/

Buster said...

I remember those big ol' fans roaring at night trying to keep us cool. They made quite the racket. There also were huge ones in church on Sunday that seemed to have little effect on the heat, although the noise did serve to drown out the sermon.

Don Hilton said...

Fans? In church?

We had our services an hour earlier in the summer and got the whole month of August off 'cause of the heat. I'm sure the Almighty didn't care all that much.