Back-2-School Racing on Lake Hopatcong

The Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club will host a back-to-school themed boat race on Saturday, and it's free.

The sailors—ages 8 to 16—will compete for awards in boat type and skill level from 10:30 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m.

Read more from the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club below.

Scores of young sailors are expected to descend on Lake Hopatcong this Saturday, September 17, for the 20th Annual Back to School Regatta at the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club. The sailors, generally ages 8 to 16, will be racing in Optimist and Laser sailboats, and the fleets will be split by age and ability level. Awards are given to top five sailors in each type of boat and in each ability level.

Spectator boats for parents will be following the racing, and press can be accommodated on the motorboats, though all the racing will also be visible from the yacht club docks.  There will be six short races, and the racers will be able to throw out their worst finish. The event typically attracts a wide range of sailors from all over the northeast, and has many times surpassed 100 boats.

The day's events begin with registration and a continental breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m., followed by a skippers' meeting at 10 a.m. The harbor gun for the first race will be sounded at 10:30 a.m., and the sailors will sail two races before lunch at 12:30 p.m. The racing will proceed at 1:15 p.m., and continue until six races are completed or until 3:30 p.m., whichever comes first.  The trophy presentation will take place at 4:15 p.m., followed by a family cookout.

The Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club is the second-oldest inland yacht club in the country, dating back to 1905, and is on the National and New Jersey registers of historic places. For more information, visit the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club website: http://www.lhyc.com.