The Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club welcomed 24 sailboats to compete in the Eastern Class E Scow Championships last Thursday through Sunday. Submitted photo

LAKEWOOD — The Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club welcomed 24 sailboats to compete in the Eastern Class E Scow Championships last Thursday through Sunday.

Competitors from clubs throughout the east and midwest attended from as far away as New Jersey and Wisconsin.

The first Eastern Championship regatta was held in 1939 and for the last 82 years competitors gather to share the excitement of scow racing at host yacht clubs throughout the eastern region.

Following a late Thursday warmup, the competition began in earnest on Friday with a light breeze out of the southwest. Although three races were scheduled, Principal Race Officer Bill Lasher’s judgment to sail a fourth race proved important.

In the two days that followed, light winds from the southwest allowed the completion of just two races.

Six races were completed over the three days of competition.

Local sailors included Rick Turner, CH6; Jackson Smith, CH11; Brad Turner, CH7; Will Turner, CH66; and Mark Grinder, CH 57.

Rick Turner was the best local competitor. Rick and his crew Tom Kelly and Cameron Turner won race three which led to a ninth-place overall finish.

Top five regatta finishers were: Chad Hilyer from Tom’s River Yacht Club, first place; Jeff Bonanni from Tom’s River Yacht Club, second place; Carl Horrocks from Tom’s River Yacht Club, third place; Eddie Cox from Lake Geneva Yacht Club, fourth place; and John Brown, Seaside Yacht Club, fifth place.

E Scows are 26 feet long, have a low-profile hull, and have two leeboards powered by a main, jib and spinnaker. They have the reputation as one of the fastest monohull designs that challenges the three- or four-man crew, driving high excitement on the race course.