This will be the eighth KMAC regatta. A long way from the first, where we sailed 8 boats down from North Bay on a Saturday to CYC for a BBQ on the hoist dock. It was unknown that anyone at CYC knew we were there. The next morning we sailing back north and called that a regatta.
This was the beginning of a relationship that grew into the finest regatta on the west coast for sailors from all walks of life with disabilities.
Eventually we turned into a real regatta with races in South Bay. What we discovered however was the sailors loved just sailing in Glorietta Bay. With wild wind shifts, all sorts of traffic, limited geographic space and very close viewing from shore the regatta grew. So did the relationship with CYC
CYC has provided a multitude of support. First allowing the Martin 16 Fleet to do their winter maintenance at CYC has saved the organization tens of thousands of dollars. By allowing our maintenance trailer to rent a dry slip we can pull boats each winter for all the the care to keep the boats sailing year after year. The boats are sailed two days a week all year long. The Martin 16 is a former Paralympic boat from the 1990s. To say the boats are a little long in the tooth would be an understatement.
We also have become a line item in the CYC budget. With this financial support and the warmest welcome from members and staff the regatta has flourished. We now have three classes ( Hansa 303 and Harbor 20s) with Martins allow us to get world wide exposure for Accessible Sailing for all sailors with disabilities.
To that end the KMAC is changing. We are now part of the KMAC Foundation for Accessible Sailing in Coronado. As any new organization can state we are more of a dream. We have no permanent home, not much funding and no boats. Beyond that we’re great. Volunteers are needed everywhere.
So please come down April 29 thru 1 May to enjoy the festivities. Watch the closest racing, by phenomenal athletes by sitting on the dock or cruising around in a dingy.
Thanks CYC a for your continued support! Learn more.
All donations and sponsorships support Coronado’s adaptive sailing program for kids, adults, and veterans with disabilities. For more information about Coronado Yacht Club’s KMAC Regatta (and how to donate), please email Jamie McArthur at [email protected].
