FILE PHOTO Action from an earlier Summerset Regatta off Fort Myers Beach.

An armada of sailboats will be taking over the Gulf of Mexico this weekend as part of the 55th annual Summerset Regatta.

The series of sail races, running Saturday and Sunday will begin in the morning and go through the afternoon.

“It’s a grand event,” said Steve Romaine, a committee member of the Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society, which puts on the event.

The sailboats will be largely assembled at Salty Sam’s Marina, as well as the Pink Shell Resort and Moss Marina before the races.

The race will begin and end in the vicinity around the DiamondHead Resort, Lani Kai Island Resort, Fort Myers Beach Pier and Bowditch Pointe Park.

Those looking forward to catching a good look at the boats will have good views along the beach in that part of town.

As of last week there were 27 boats registered. The deadline to register was Sept. 29. The registration fee is $70 and $60 if you are a member of US Sailing.

Not everybody has to race. Last year, there were 53 boats entered and 38 raced.

Boaters will pick up their bag of goodies, shirts, sailing instructions and a welcome letter at Bonita Bill’s on Friday.

There are several classes of boats which will be participating in the Buoy races, Lou Tilley race and Coastal Distance race.

Each class, with three or more boats in the race, are competing for prizes. If a boat in the race is not part of a group of three in the race, can only compete for the grand prize.

The classes include the spinnaker, non-spinnaker and true cruising. As of last week, there was only one multi-hull boat entered, Romaine said. There would need to be three multi-hulls to create a new division.

The boats come from “all over,” Romaine said. Many of the boats are from Cape Coral, Romaine said. Others are based in Fort Myers Beach or hail from Fort Myers Beach, Naples and Punta Gorda.

The race raises money to promote youth sailing with contributions from local and regional sponsors. The Edison Sailing Center educates young people in sailing, Romaine said. The race also supports the Ostego Bay Marine Science Center summer camp.

Allen Fiske, chairman and Vice Commodore of Summerset Regatta, is in his fifth year running the race.

Fiske, who was previously the director of Miami’s community sailing center, said he likes sailing because “it’s the same as it was 200 years ago.”

Many of the boats are considered yachts, Fiske said. The average boat registered this year is between 24 feet and 40 feet in length. In previous years there have been boats spanning longer than 50 feet.

The Coastal Distance race starts at about 9:55 a.m. on Sunday, a half an hour after the Lou Tilley race starts.

The Coastal Distance race is expected to go about 14 miles depending on how well the wind is blowing on Saturday, Romaine said. Boats have a handicap depending on the configuration of their boats and sails which sets the time they leave.

“You are at the mercy of the wind,” Fiske said.

For sail racing, the crew is especially critical. “You have to have the right crew to make all the right decisions at the right time,” Fiske said. “Whoever makes the right decisions quicker has the advantage.”

Despite being a parapalegic due to a vehicle accident, Fiske has enjoyed sailing for many decades. He has trained students at the University of Miami studying physical therapy and lived on his boat for more than 20 years. For about two years, he lived on his boat docked off Salty Sam’s Marina. He now lives in Fort Myers full-time.

“It’s so crazy in Miami. It’s a lot more mellow here. It’s an easygoing place.”

“It slows you down and puts you in a good frame of mind,” Fiske said of sailing’s appeal.

More information on the races can be found at www.SummersetRegatta.com.