FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KMPH) -
Huntington Lake was dotted with more than 100 sailboats Saturday, as teams harnessed the wind and raced around the waters in the High Sierra Regatta.
"When the horn goes off they're all trying to get the best start, they want to get a position on one another because each boat throws dirty air, and if you get stuck in that dirty air you fall behind. So they're all trying to get a good start, clear air," explained Mike Checketts with the Fresno Yacht Club.
It's no easy day at the lake for the sailors.
"It got a little tiring, by the end we were ready to get off the boat and stretch our legs. Beautiful course, nine miles and that's a lot of sailing," said Jon Richards who sailed with this wife.
A skilled sailor will know how to read the winds, choreograph their team to gain speed and position, pulling their boat ahead of the pack.
"Yeah it's a little difficult. It's not easy, it's not supposed to be easy, you got to work hard for it," said Mark Ryan, who is from Long Beach.
From the shore, though, it's a relaxing sight.
"I just love the colorfulness of it as they come across, and just the activity itself," said Jenice Erdman, who watched her son and grandson in the race.
"It's just quiet, there's no motor, get away from it all, get away from the city and you're just one with the wind and nature," said Ryan of the regatta.
The High Sierra Regatta continues on Sunday.
