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Sailing Event Honors General George S. Patton, Jr.

The 69th annual Patton Bowl Regatta, always one of the highlights of the North Shore sailing season, will take place on Sunday June 26 off Manchester. Hosted by the Manchester Yacht Club, the event attracts both serious racing sailors and casual cruiser/racers from around Southern New England.

The Regatta will consist of a single race in ocean race format. The starting line will be in the vicinity of Gales Ledge Nun 6 off Manchester with a first gun at 1200. There will be a spinnaker division and a cruising canvas division, as well as J105 and Multihull classes if there are enough competitors in those classes. Chowder and the award ceremony will follow completion of the race at the Manchester Yacht Club.

The regatta is named after General George S. Patton, Jr. of World War II fame, who lived in Hamilton and frequently sailed in Massachusetts Bay. The original trophies for the regatta were given to the Manchester Yacht Club in 1953, by Beatrice Ayer Patton, the General's widow, and her brother, Frederick Ayer. Members of the Patton family often participate in the awards ceremony.

For sailing instructions and registration go to http://www.regattaman.com. For questions, email race@manchesteryc.org . Participants must have a valid ORR-EZ rating certificate.