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Photo courtesy Great Texas Catamaran Race
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The summer season has arrived and the smell of sweet, salty air is filtering north again from open Gulf waters, carried by fluffy, water moistened puffs of cumulus and calling to even the most urban among us to venture out and smell the poignant fragrance of the sultry Texas coast.
And that's just about all it takes for sailing enthusiasts and lovers of the wind to load their assorted gear and ice chests and head to the coast for another season of flirting with the breezes.
Sails are up in Texas, and it's time for the Great Texas Catamaran Race, another 300-mile grueling sailboat competition that takes contestants from South Padre Island to Galveston Island in a race against time for fame and glory.
The race is an event born of true grit and old world adventure spirit covering over 300 miles of racing that takes sailors up the barrier islands from South Padre and past miles of open beach where lie hidden hundreds of shipwrecks that have come before. The course is both challenging and potentially hazordous as weather changes and shipping traffic becomes an obstacle for the small boats that race against time to reach the shores of Galveston.
It's the longest catamaran race in the world and competitors are limited to 18 - 22 foot catamaran vessels - not a lot of boat for open water. Daring sailors adventure into the Gulf of Mexico into remote areas and, in Old World tradition, are not allowed to have support boats follow along. They must deal with unpredictable twists in not only changing weather conditions but the possibility of equipment malfunction, knowing they are own their own in an ever-changing environment.
The race is operated by the Great Texas Fleet, a nonprofit association that makes an effort to assure a safe and fun event for competitors. While conestants are own their own, there are race directors who make every attempt to keep up with each vessel and its possible need for assistance.
It is quite a spectacle to see the race start and end on each of the four days of the event. Friends, family members and interested spectators often watch the begiining of the race on South Padre Island, then drive each day to the next checkpoint to watch sailors arrive in staggered succession - then leave again the next crack of dawn.
The race begins at South Padre Island and ends the first day at Mustang Island State Park. On day two the race starts at Mustang Island and ends at Matagorda Beach where participants will have an overnight camp out and swap sailing stories around a beach bonfire. Day three the race starts out from the campsite and ends as sailors reach Surfside, near Freeport. The final leg of the race takes cat sailors from Surfside to Galveston's East Side Park for the finish.
The popularity of the event has grown over the last couple of years. So far this year 17 teams have registered for the event and many more are expected on race day. Participants come from all over the nation to claim the title of champion of the Great Texas Catamaran Race.
The 2006 race is set to run over the Fathers Day weekend. Events will begin Wednesday June 14 and end on Saturday. The grand finale will be an awards ceremony held Saturday night at the Texas Seaport Museum, home of the historic sailing vessel, The Elissa.
The event is open to the general public and tickets include dinner and drinks. There is a preset price of $15 before June 1st and $25 for tickets purchased after that date. Contact PISailing.com for more information.
The prizes for winners include Nauti Gear equipment. Nauti Gear is the corporate sponsor of the race and has been with the event from its inception. Nauti Gear will be supplying high quality sail bags to the top ten teams and trophies to the winners.
Whether your a catamaran sailor or a sailing fan, get out to the beach Fathers Day weekend and catch a glimpse of the magnificent cats sailing on the ocean in the longest catamaran race in the world.....The Great Texas Catamaran Race.
Check out the race course on the map below:
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Rio Grande Valley
