Norm Blanchard W.O.O.D. Regatta: September 20th, 2025
Registration is Open for The 2025 Norm Blanchard W.O.O.D. Regatta!
Join us for a day of racing in our Norm Blanchard W.O.O.D. Regatta. We will be accepting registrations for racers 12 years old and up. The regatta will be a day long event including a BBQ after the racing (tickets sold separately).
About the Race:
The Center for Wooden Boats’ annual Norm Blanchard W.O.O.D. (Wooden Open & One Design) Regatta honors the best-known name in wooden boatbuilding and yachting in the Pacific Northwest. Norman C. Blanchard’s Blanchard Boat Company turned out more than 2,000 boats in 60+ years during the past century. Quality, performance and longevity are the hallmarks of Norm Blanchard.
We want to extend the race invitation to CWB members as well as local racers who may or may not have participated in our past regattas. There will be several races (depending on wind) over the course of the day. This is a non-spinnaker event. Classes will be “boats 16 feet and under” and “boats over 16 feet”. Each class will have its own start. There will be a break at midday for lunch then back out for the final races of the day.
You can bring your own boat. If you choose this option, be sure to let us know your boat rating (if possible) when you finalize your registration. The registration fee covers you and your crew.
CWB boats will also be available as long as at least one blue-card holder is aboard. We can assign you to a boat or you and your friends can form a crew and race together on a boat. In either case each participant will need to register separately. Boat assignment is first come first served.
Separate prizes will be awarded for each class. For this regatta, we will have a small boat class (16ft or less) and a Large boat class (Greater than 16 feet). If you are bringing your own boat, but do not know the rating/handicap number of your vessel, you are still invited to race. Unrated vessels will not be competing for ranking in the races.
Who Can Participate?
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Racers
Youth: Ages 12 to 18. (Parents must complete the Youth waiver form. Sailors must have completed Youth Sailing 2 or equivalent)
Adult: Ages 18 and up. (Must have a Livery Card if planning to use CWB boats) schedule your check out HERE!
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CWB Boats
You can register to participate on CWB a boat! Boats will be assigned on the day of the race on a first-come first-assigned basis.
CWB's LARGE (>2 crew) Sailboat Regatta Fleet Includes:
1 Thunderbird Kittiwake - sloop rig
3 Blanchard Junior Knockabouts - sloop rig
CWB's SMALL (1-2 crew) Sailboat Regatta Fleet Includes:
10 El Toros - Bermuda catboats
1 Pelican - lug rig
1 Catboat Riff - gaff rig
1 Port Madison Pram Mary I - sloop rig
1 Ed Monk Sloop L’Hirondelle - sloop rig
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Bring your own Boat and Crew
Open to all wooden boats - from El Toros to large racer cruisers
Non-wood versions of traditional wood one-designs (e.g. Lightnings, Thunderbirds, El Toros). email us at adultsailing@cwb.org if you have questions
Tentative Race Day Schedule: Saturday, September 20, 2025
9:00-10:00 Registration will take an hour to complete
10:00-11:00 Skippers meeting
11:00-12:00 Rigging and practice time
12:00-2:00 First races
2:00-3:00 Break
3:00-5:00 Final races
4:30-7:00 BBQ & Awards
Stay up to date on registration and race information by checking our social media and this page! You can also get information by subscribing to our monthly newsletter. If you have immediate questions, please reach out to adultsailing@cwb.org
After Race BBQ
Our Regatta BBQ Tickets are sold separately and can be purchased through the registration button above.
Please be sure to purchase yours before Race Day! Grab additional BBQ tickets now or later for dock-based family and friends. ALL ARE WELCOME! The BBQ will kick-off around 4:30 or 5:00 after the last race.
THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY SPONSOR, Fisheries Supply!
2024 Regatta Highlights
Makima
We got through the 19th annual Norm Blanchard W.O.O.D Regatta with high clouds and NO rain! Eight boats registered from outside of CWB. The remainder were CWB boats. Boats ranged in size from 8’ to 29’.
We completed a total of 4 races over the course of the day. There was good wind for the start of the first race. However, the southerly wind slowly died away so that the second race was shortened to allow time for lunch. After the break, a breeze had come up from the north to provide good sailing for the last two races of the day.
Special thanks to Lavengro for being our committee boat, Gary Bangs our fearless race committee leader, and all the volunteers that contributed time to make the regatta possible! Next year we will be looking to hold 3 regattas at CWB. The Tiny Boat Regatta and W.O.O.D. Regatta will have their usual places in June and September respectively. We would also like to add one in late March so please stay tuned!
Final overall standings for the regatta are as follows:
2024 Winners:
1st Place - Matthew Upton on Makima (Thunderbird)
2nd Place - Ken Rasmussen on 11017 (El Toro)
3rd Place Allan Johnson on Sommerfugl (Dragon)
2022 Regatta Highlights
Video produced by CWB volunteer J.A. Wiley
The 2022 Regatta was one great, wonderful adventure with good breeze and bright skies.
We were joined by over 30 boats and 150+ community members for a full day of racing. All 13 boats from our own livery participated plus 5 Norm Blanchard-built wooden boats (each 70+ years old!) sailed in this homage to the formative boatbuilder and designer. The fleet was diverse, ranging from 8 to 32 feet across Pelicans, Thunderbirds, Lightnings, and El Toros, with sailors ages 10 to 70+, some bringing decades of experience and some brand new SailNOW! grads.
Thank you to our community for coming out, helping out, and enjoying this beautiful lake we call home!
2021 Regatta Highlights
Congratulations to the 2021 overall champion:
Kemp Jones! (Thunderbird - Barbaree)
