The Inland Lakes Yachting Association's (ILYA) annual X Boat Championship Regatta will be July 24-26, featuring eight races on Gull Lake in front of the Gull Lake Yacht Club.
After practice races Wednesday afternoon, July 23, there will be one to two races each on Thursday morning and afternoon, July 24; Friday morning and afternoon, July 25; and Saturday morning, July 26.
The races are about 2-4 miles long, around a set of markers/buoys, and take approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Skippers are ages 13-14 (some are younger) in the junior fleet, featuring approximately 40 boats; and ages 15-16 in the senior fleet, featuring another 40 boats.
Spectators are welcome at the Gull Lake Yacht Club.
Friday evening will also feature a dinner, dance, DJ and volleyball at the yacht club.
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The event is the annual championship regatta for this one design boat for ILYA. Many other smaller regattas are held prior to this around the Midwest for these sailors.
ILYA has been hosting this event more than 50 years and it is hosted by other Midwest member yacht clubs on a rotating basis. Many of the ILYA sailors at this event go on to race collegiately and some in the Olympics. The Gull Lake Yacht Club hosted this last in 2009 with more than 100 boats and 400 attendees.
