Puddle ducks to set sail for championship races
MUDDY CREEK TWP — In addition to other activities, the Regatta at Lake Arthur this weekend also will host the 2014 North American Puddle Duck Championship Races.
This is the first year for this particular event. John Bridges of Gibsonia, a member of the Lake Arthur Sailing Club, helped create the event so there could be a race at the regatta.
The Puddle Duck Racer World Championships already were held this year in Texas, so that event could not be at Moraine this year.
“Puddle ducks” are small sailboats that are 8 feet long, 4 feet wide and usually weigh 50 to 60 pounds. They have been a fixture at the regatta for a few years.
“They seem to (enjoy it),” Bridges said of puddle duck owners.
He said that puddle duck boats are easy to make, cheap to make, easy to modify, easy to transport and can be used by adults or children.
“Eight or 10 year olds can sail them by themselves,” Bridges said.
The races will be at 2 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Bridges said that Saturday's races should be qualifying rounds, with Sunday's races being the finals.
An awards ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.As per puddle duck tradition, each participant will bring in a trophy. The first place winner gets the first choice of trophy, the second place winner gets the second choice of trophy and so on.In 2012, the regatta featured the Puddle Duck Racer World Championships. The event brought almost 50 boaters from as far away as Florida, Alabama and Canada.This year, Bridges said a smaller amount of people have registered. He said there have been many verbal commitments, both from local and nonlocal racers, but they still are waiting to register.To register for the event, visit www.lakearthurregatta.org/32/Puddle+Duck+Sailboats.html.
