North Shore Park to host River Romp Regatta
It has been a familiar sight for drivers entering or leaving North Fort Myers on U.S. 41 — countless small boats along the waters at North Shore Park racing on the Caloosahatchee, most of whom are young sailors with dreams of racing in the Olympics.
Though that sight has been on and off throughout recent years, it will be happening this year as the River Romp U.S. Sailing Junior Olympic Regatta returns to North Shore Park on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17 and 18.
The event, hosted by the Edison Sailing Center, at 13001 N. Cleveland Ave., will bring young sailors from throughout the region for a weekend of sailing competition. The race also will feature 15 to 20 local sailers.
Ross Webb, of the Edison Sailing Center, said more than 120 boats will participate on the three courses set up on the river. This after hurricanes wiped out several regattas.
“We’ve been doing the regatta for 26 years. After Hurricane Ian in 2022 we couldn’t do it because the place was destroyed and two years after that (Helene and Milton) came two weeks before the regatta and had to cancel it because there were no facilities,” Webb said.
The event came to be in the 1990s when the sailing center wanted to do regattas for the kids, Webb said. It was a hit among the young sailors, who compete frequently. At its peak, nearly 200 sailors came to North Fort Myers with their families.
This contributed to the local economy as competitors and their families lodged in area hotels and ate in area eateries. The regatta gets support from the Lee County Sports Authority.
“Kids in St. Pete, Clearwater, Venice and Miami come down for the regatta. There’s a regatta somewhere every other week,” Webb said. “Clearwater and St. Pete were destroyed by hurricanes. We’re coming back, between that and COVID.”
Some of the previous competitors eventually did compete in the Olympics. Some of the members of the Sailing Center have similar dreams, Webb said.
The sailors range from beginners to advanced, with boats designed for whatever level the sailors are at. The most advanced boats are two-man boats used for college competition.
During the competition, the park and its amenities will be temporarily closed to the public to accommodate the event and ensure the safety of all who are there. The park will reopen to the public on Monday, Oct. 19.
For more information, visit the Edison Sailing Center website at edisonsailingcenter.org.