OTRYC releases new logo for 2005 Laguna Regatta

While preparations for the 2005 Laguna Regatta are well under way, the Over the Reef Yacht Club has recently released the logo for the 30th edition of the open water race which the creator believes truly embodies the harmony between man and the elements that is the event.

“The four lines represent, respectively, the sky, sun, and water and the interaction thereof which provides the motive power for our boats. The 30th Annual Laguna Regatta comes out of the efforts of the organization, thus the directional dynamic which draws the eye through the logo, across the event name and towards the boats, which are the focus of the event,” said the logo’s creator Ron Smith.

As the commodore of the OTRYC, Smith has plenty of first-hand knowledge about the organization and the event, and he hopes that this year’s Laguna Regatta is the most successful of all.

In the coming days and weeks, volunteers and businesses throughout the community will be asked to lend a hand to help make the event the biggest and the best in the 30-year history of the race.

Members, prospective members, and volunteers will next meet at Hamilton’s on Feb. 8 at 6:30pm, where one of the major items on the agenda is the election of the board of directors for 2005.

After the voting is completed, the focus of the meeting will move to the continued planning of the Laguna Regatta on Saturday, Feb. 26, and Sunday, Feb. 27.

“We’ll be voting on the future leadership of the club, and this meeting is open to the public, and anyone interested in volunteering their services for the Regatta. We are looking forward to see some new faces at the meeting, and we hope to recruit people to participate in the committee boat and the chase boats, to name a couple of positions,” said Smith.

The OTRYC has been in existence since 1972, and has sponsored catamaran events (Hobie and Prindle cats), monohull-distance sailing and regattas, and public seminars about both traditional Carolinian sailing and modern sailing.

The Regatta pits the captains and crew of the 16-foot Hobie Cats against one another in the waters of the Tanapag Lagoon, between Tanapag and Managaha Island.

In addition to being one of the most colorful events on the water, the Regatta is also the longest-running sporting event in the Northern Mariana Islands.

“We anticipate somewhere between 5-6 teams from the (Saipan), and another 5-6 teams from Japan,” said Smith.

For more information about the Over the Reef Yacht Club, including the details, directions, and race materials, click on the club website at www.otryc.org.