They’ve spent the summer building a new walkway stretching from their clubhouse to the lakeshore, and now White Rock Boat Club members are just waiting for other seafarers to notice.
“When you repair the pier and start getting new boats out there, people start coming out of the woodwork,” says Roger Hanson, the recently appointed White Rock Boat Club commodore.
With the new pier and efforts to replace many of the older structures, the club is eager to entice new members to join the 85-plus roster. Plus, the updates should attract more events and regattas in the future, says Lakewood resident Angela Pendleton, the club’s new publicity chairman.
As for the regattas (weekend races by invitation), White Rock Lake has seen a few. In fact, the boat club has been making waves on the lake since it was incorporated in 1960 specifically to promote boating on the lake. Back then, the original fleet consisted of catamarans that belonged to the men who helped build the pier. The Black Tie Regatta for national scow championships originated on White Rock Lake but moved to Ray Hubbard years ago.
These days, racing butterfly scows is the principal activity at the club, with more than a half-dozen national champions in the group and a Laser fleet that recently has become active. The White Rock Boat Club still holds races every Saturday, rain or shine, but the starting point does change weekly.
“It depends on the wind,” Hanson says. “You sail directly upwind for the first leg because that is the most difficult thing to do, to judge the wind and know which shift to take.”
For interested non-members who want to race, the boat club owns two butterfly boats available for loan. For those interested in just watching, the summertime races start at 10:30 a.m., while in the winter they start at noon.
“Sailing is always a Kodak moment for the sailor as well as the onlookers,” Pendleton says. “There’s a feeling of freedom to have control of a vessel with the wind moving across your sail. The thrill of passing over the end mark of your first race is amazing, and then there’s always the peacefulness of moving without the use of a motor or gas.”
Members are not required to own a boat, but Hanson suspects most do since storage is the main incentive to join. The pier is handy, he says, because boat owners can simply lower their vessels into the water with half the rigging already complete.
Pendleton joined the club without yet owning a boat, but later purchased one — a little green boat with Kermit on the sail. She has entered races, but prefers what she calls “pleasure sailing.”
“That’s what I enjoy doing because some of the stress of the competition gets to me. I like to go where the wind takes me,” Pendleton says.
“Some people are out there every Saturday no matter what. I’m a picky sailor, but there are others who are retired age, and they will go out in everything. I’m like, ‘I hope you have good insurance.’”
The White Rock Boat Club is located at 340 E. Lawther, and membership applications can be found in the mailbox at the front of the club. Dues are about $500, depending on the size of the boat.
