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Jim DeWitt Memorial
2023 El Toro North American Championships |
July 27-30, 2023
Huntington Lake, CA
Huntington Lake, CA
The Fresno Yacht Club and the El Toro Class are proud to present the Jim DeWitt Memorial 2023 El Toro North Americans, sailed on the pristine waters of Huntington Lake. Junior and Senior El Toro racers are invited to test the reliable-as-clockwork High Sierra breeze. Separate awards for Classic El Toros. Group camping, cabins and condos available. Registration is open online via Regatta Network. The Fresno Yacht Club and the El Toro Class are proud to present the Jim DeWitt Memorial 2023 El Toro North Americans, sailed on the pristine waters of Huntington Lake. Junior and Senior El Toro racers are invited to test the reliable-as-clockwork High Sierra breeze. Separate awards for Classic El Toros. Group camping, cabins and condos available. Registration is open online via Regatta Network.
Lido 14s round Mark One with Banshees and San Juan 21s in the distance. Huntington offers suburb spectating for non-sailing family members.
Huntington Lake
This year, the El Toro Class is returning to Huntington Lake for the sixth time. We sailed our North Americans here in 1964, 1968, 1973, 1998 and 2002. What makes this place so special? The reliable wind, clean water, great camping and local attractions. Located about 70 miles northeast of Fresno, in the High Sierras at 6950’ above sea level, the Huntington Lake breeze is legendary. It rolls down the lake from the dams promptly at 10am and brings full-hike gusts, lulls to make you change gears, and predictable shifts.
Classic El Toro Fleet
Dust off that old Toro sitting in the garage! Last year at the Lake Washington North Americans we created a Classic El Toro Division, and folks brought the Caballeros in the picture below, along with a beautiful varnished wood boat and other older Toros with wood and aluminum masts.
This year, the El Toro Class is returning to Huntington Lake for the sixth time. We sailed our North Americans here in 1964, 1968, 1973, 1998 and 2002. What makes this place so special? The reliable wind, clean water, great camping and local attractions. Located about 70 miles northeast of Fresno, in the High Sierras at 6950’ above sea level, the Huntington Lake breeze is legendary. It rolls down the lake from the dams promptly at 10am and brings full-hike gusts, lulls to make you change gears, and predictable shifts.
Classic El Toro Fleet
Dust off that old Toro sitting in the garage! Last year at the Lake Washington North Americans we created a Classic El Toro Division, and folks brought the Caballeros in the picture below, along with a beautiful varnished wood boat and other older Toros with wood and aluminum masts.
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This year, we’re leveling the field even more with the first ever Toro Swap Meet and Tune-up Thursday, July 27th at 930am. A representative of our sponsor, West Marine Alameda, will be onsite at the launching ramp with Dyneema line, cool little blocks, fasteners and cordless drills. Hardcore racers will be bringing those not-so-old sails. We’ll have traditional tune-up races starting at 2pm.
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Classic Courses
Eight races are planned with one throw-out. The El Toro North Americans will use the start/finish line from Fresno Yacht Club’s Club Racing Course Chart, unlike the High Sierra Regatta that uses a separate finish line. The Race Committee will be onshore. Courses will be targeted for 45 minutes, may include downwind finishes or upwind finishes from Mark Eight.
Eight races are planned with one throw-out. The El Toro North Americans will use the start/finish line from Fresno Yacht Club’s Club Racing Course Chart, unlike the High Sierra Regatta that uses a separate finish line. The Race Committee will be onshore. Courses will be targeted for 45 minutes, may include downwind finishes or upwind finishes from Mark Eight.
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Accommodations
We reserved Granite Group Campground, located just inside the entrance to Rancheria Campground, for North American Championship racers and their families from July 26th to July 31st. This spacious group campground contains ten individual campsites, three large group tables, a group fire pit, bear boxes and electrical outlets. Reservations are first-come, first served, up to Forest Service limit. Email the Regatta Chair to reserve a space. Other accommodations include individual campsites at Deer Creek, College, Rancheria and Lower Billy Creek campgrounds at recreation.gov. Upper Billy Creek, Kinnikinnik and Catavee have been closed since the fire, and may or may not be open. Make reservations now as the campgrounds fill up months in advance. |
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There's also Lakeshore Resort, under new ownership dedicated to restoring the business to its former glory with cabins, an RV park with tent sites, a general store and saloon. Huntington Lake Marina, located at the western end of the lake, offers boat rentals, a marina, a burger restaurant and a few cabins. Huntington Lake condos are available on Vrbo, Airbnb and from local Shaver Lake property management companies.
For answers to any questions, for further information and to reserve a site at Granite Group Campground, please contact: Tom Burden, Regatta Chair at tomburden1@gmail.com
Online registration at https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/25782#_home
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Jim DeWitt
He began a world-class career at age nineteen, when he built El Toro #216 and began racing it on Lake Merritt. Jim DeWitt was one of the greatest marine artists, painting “what sailing feels like,” with anatomically-correct racing sailboats driven by high-action sailors, parting the waves with each sheet in perfect trim across a mind-blowing background of color. A world-class sailor who won the Mallory Cup, Big Boat Series and many other top-level events, Jim DeWitt continued racing Toros into his sixties, also donating many of his paintings as trophies for our events. His children and grandchildren sail Toros to the present day. A world-class boat-design innovator, Jim DeWitt tried out a trapeze and a mast with spreaders on his El Toro, and also designed the roto-molded, Toro-like DeWitt Dinghy at left. |