Regatta gets off to slow start in rain Saturday
FRANKLIN TWP — A small crowd braved the rain that ushered in the 25th annual Moraine State Park Regatta on Saturday.
Activities on water and land took place as music filled the air Saturday and Sunday on the south shore of Lake Arthur at Moraine State Park for the regatta’s silver anniversary.
A few children navigated their way around the lake in kayaks during the “Open Paddle,” but most of the other water-based activities were dormant until the skies cleared in the afternoon.
During the lull, Moraine Sailing Club commodore Clint Graham, commodore emeritus Bill Paviol and a handful of the club’s 261 members were closely watching weather radar and forecasts, hoping for a break in the rain so they could use their boats to teach visitors the basics of sailing in the ‘Learn to Sail” program. Graham said there usually is a backlog of people waiting to climb aboard and set sail.
The club was established in 1970, the year the lake was filled and the park was dedicated, and has put on sailing events during the regatta since. Of the members, 31 are instructors certified by the U.S. Sailing Association.
Paviol said sailing isn’t difficult. At a recent youth sail camp at the lake, most of the participants were sailing on their own after two hours of practice, he said.
Club members brought their catamaran, Flying Scot and Sunfish sailboats to the regatta for the activities. Some of the larger catamarans and Flying Scots are docked at the Watts Bay Marina on the lake’s north shore.
Any time on the water in a boat is time well spent, but club members prefer sailboats.
“It’s quiet. You can hear the water lap against the hull and hear the birds chirping on the other side of the lake,” Graham said.
Donna Harrison and her 4-year-old daughter Victoria live in Pittsburgh, but came to the regatta from their camp in Slippery Rock.
She said they went swimming last year, but Victoria enjoyed making crafts in the children’s area on Saturday.
A short distance away, Carl Altman and Tina Surdick of Ellwood City were sitting under a tree listening to country music band Hayday, one of 10 bands that performed at the regatta. They said they come to the regatta every year.
Better weather is promised Sunday, when regatta events will include a car cruise, more music, and a yoga class, among many other activities. For a full list of events continuing Saturday and Sunday, visit https://morainestateparkregatta.org/schedule/.
