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Barefoot Sailing Club (BFSC) offers major racing circuit events each year, including the annual two-day "Barefoot Open Regatta" each fall. The club sponsors racing series for its PHRF and Portsmouth fleets from January through November with awards to skippers and crew for each series. Regular club races are held on Lake Lanier and include both buoy and long-distance (around the islands) racing. The club's sailing instructions (click race name hyperlink) detail the rules of racing with Barefoot. The Races are started using the staggered start system (pursuit race).  Consult the Pursuit Start Courses (Rev B) and Pursuit Handicap Table for details.

Visitors are invited to crew for races - just attend the skippers' meeting held 2 hours before each race to see which skippers need crew. 

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Annually, we award a "Racing Skipper of the Year".  To qualify, the skipper must have raced in at least 4 races of either BFSC series, at least 2 races of the other BFSC series, and must have served on Race committee at least once during the Dorton Cup Series. 

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Barefoot is a member of the Lanier Auxiliary Racing Committee (LARC) formed by members of sailing clubs on Lake Lanier to coordinate racing between the various clubs. LARC coordinates the racing calendar events to minimize conflicts and also allows the clubs to share in the burden of mark maintenance, repair and replacement.

Lanier Auxiliary Racing Committee (LARC):

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• BFSC - Barefoot Sailing Club
   

• LLSC - Lake Lanier Sailing Club
   

• UYC - University Yacht Club

 

Additionally, there are university-sponsored clubs such as Georgia Tech Sailing Club and University of Georgia Sailing Club.

 

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By season, the races are:
 

WINTER

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Dean Holcomb Poker Run & Chili Cookoff - Come out and have fun in the annual Poker Run/ Mad Hatter on Thursday, January 1, 2026, hosted by Barefoot Sailing Club. It will be Five-Card Stud with the first card being handed out at the Skipper’s Meeting.  The participants will round the prescribed marks grabbing a single envelope from each mark. Envelopes are to remain sealed until the post-race gathering at Branch House Tavern, where we'll gather to reveal poker hands and partake in the fiercely competitive Chili/Chowder/Stew/Soup Cook-off.

LARC Winter Race Series -  LARC sponsors a four race series each winter.  The 2025 winter series is hosted by UYC and kicked off Saturday, January 4th.
 

Spring Race Series - BFSC's six race series held each spring. Note that the 2025 series actually spans both winter and spring as it kicked off much earlier than usual with the first race scheduled for January 9th.  Due to inclement weather, the first race was cancelled and it subsequently kicked off with the second race on Sunday, February 8th.

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SPRING

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Spring Race Series - See above.

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Around Alone Regatta - The long time–honored tradition of the premier solo regatta, the Around Alone Regatta, it is usually held in the early spring on Lake Lanier. Come on out with the rest of the hardy single-handers on a race from the Chattahoochee Bay area of the Lake, to Buford Dam and back!  The perpetual trophy is a framed Barefoot Burgee autographed by Robin Davie, 3 time solo circumnavigator. Our 26th(!) solo race was held Sunday, April 13, 2025.

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Joan Holcomb Memorial Women Skippers Regatta - The regatta is held in memory of Joan Holcomb, BFSC’s 1994 and LLSC's 2002 Commodore.   Both Joan's widow, the late Dean Holcomb, and subsequently, his widow Dee Rosenbaum, have been generous supporters of the regatta. For the races, a woman must helm the boat and make tactical decisions. Co-hosted with LLSC, the next race will be held Saturday, May 17, 2025.
 

​"LARC After Dark" Moonlight Race Series (NOR-SIs) - LARC sponsors a four evening race series each late spring-summer (May-August) as close to the full moon nights as possible for Saturday evening races. The series is intended to be a fun sail where sailors are out late enjoying fresh night breezes and the full moon. BFSC will host the 2025 LARC series kicking off Saturday, May 10, 2025.​
 

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SUMMER
 

​"LARC After Dark" Moonlight Race Series (NOR-SIs) - See above. 
 

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FALL

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BFSC Fall Race Series -  Held each fall, the six race series will kick off Saturday, August 16, 2025. Races are typically held at 1pm w/Skippers meeting at 11am in the parking lot of Pig Tales at Aqualand Marina.

LARC Fall Race Series -  LARC sponsors a four race series each fall (August-November).  The fall series is hosted by LLSC and kicks off Sunday, August 24, 2025.

Barefoot Open Regatta - Long anticipated each year, the 2025 BFO will mark our 51st year!  It will be celebrated at the University Yacht Club (UYC) over the September 26th - 28th weekend.

 

From the Friday night Skipper’s Meeting with pizza social, to the two full days of racing for all fleets, and the fantastic Saturday night party with Thunder Gypsy. All of this is on top of one of the best venues for lake racing, plus knowledgeable and experienced race committee and judges - a formula for a great weekend of sailing!  Open to all sailboats on Lake Lanier with a current PHRF or PCRF certificate.

 

Pro tip: Stay at the lake by overnighting with friends on a boat or nearby campsite/hotel/vacation rental for Friday through Sunday night. You're welcome.

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UYC Lanier Cup - Sponsored by the UYC Maritime Foundation and hosted by UYC, the Lanier Cup Regatta is eagerly anticipated by Lanier racers each November.  Teams from BFSC, LLSC and UYC fiercely compete for bragging rights to the prized "Lanier Cup." Barefoot Sailing Club captured the cup in both 2016 and 2017! Last year, Barefoot placed 2nd overall with Jeff Elam and Chris Webster (S/V Shameless) taking 3rd individually. The next Lanier Cup will be held Saturday, November 1, 2025.
 

Dorton Cup Series - This closed regatta is for Barefoot Sailing Club skippers only.  Crew do not need to be Barefoot members.  The results of the Dorton Cup will be incorporated into the Skipper of the Year tally.  The 2025 race is scheduled for Sunday, November 23, 2025.

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Race times given are for the pre-race skippers meeting. Unless noted otherwise, the skippers meetings are held in the parking lot of Aqualand's Pig Tales restaurant and Ship's Store.  NOTE: The 2025 Poker Run skippers meeting MOVED to Branch House Tavern to accommodate easier transfer of the chili crock-pots.

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For the regattas, we need volunteers willing to ride on the Race Committee boat. If you want to experience the thrill of watching the race up close, please contact Racing Captain Jeff Elam. Hope to see you out there!