Tahoe Yacht Club’s Gar Woods Wet Woody Regatta

It’s not often that sailors experience wind from every direction during a single race, but that’s exactly what happened in Lake Tahoe’s Gar Woods Wet Woody Regatta on June 28.

From hail at the start to clear skies at the finish, competitors faced constantly changing conditions over the 10-mile course before heading ashore for the always-anticipated awards celebration at the Gar Woods Restaurant on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore.

This regatta traces its roots to Tahoe’s popular early-2000s “Restaurant Regatta Series,” when several lakefront restaurants hosted races throughout the summer, awarding T-shirts, prizes and trophies famously filled with their signature drink. While the broader series has faded into history, Tahoe Yacht Club (TYC) and the Gar Woods Restaurant proudly carry on the tradition. Today, the winning trophies are still filled with the restaurant’s famous Wet Woody rum drink.

After the race, competitors and spectators gathered on Gar Woods’ beach for the awards presentation. The top three teams received their silver trophies brimming with Wet Woodys, complete with multiple straws for the traditional team sip. The rest of the fleet and spectators joined the celebration with Wet Woodys of their own, toasting another unforgettable day of racing on Lake Tahoe.

Here’s to great racing, great friends and great traditions, and congrats to the winning teams!

First: Jim Yates (Wicked, Melges 32)
Second: Gary Redelberger (Racer X, Farr 36)
Third: Erica and John Siegel (Moorigami, Moore 24)