If you have ever visited Galveston, Texas, in the fall, you may have had the unique chance to spot fleets of colorful sails storming south on the winds of the Gulf horizon. Don’t worry, Game of Thrones fans; I am not talking about a Targaryen invasion, but the start of the Harvest Moon Regatta race is just as glorious.
The Harvest Moon Regatta, hosted annually by Lakewood Yacht Club since 1987, is an offshore race that begins in Galveston and ends with a party in Port Aransas.
Competitors sail through Galveston Bay to take their positions at the starting line at the end of the Pleasure Pier. Locals and lucky tourists can sail-watch as teams head through the channel early on the day of the race, which starts each year on a Thursday afternoon. Teams sail into the evening under the Harvest moon with a course set to reach the finish line in Port Aransas by Saturday.
As the sailors cruise their vessels around the east tip of Galveston Island, the contestants gather and mingle in the Gulf as they make their way towards the starting line at the end of the Pleasure Pier. Watching the race take off from a Seawall vantage point is a spectacular experience, but seeing these bright sails scattered across the endless horizon preparing for their two-day ocean journey sparks the adventurer in those lucky enough to sit on the beach and gaze in wonder.
There are several spots on the island to watch the regatta staging and start, from the eastern tip at the end of Cherry Hill Road or East End public beach access points to the piers and beaches along the Seawall. Boaters, jet skiers, and even swimmers are among the many spectators, photographers, artists, family, and friends seeking the perfect location to watch the Harvest Moon Regatta set a course for Port Aransas.
I found the history of the race on the event's website Harvetmoonregatta.com. The idea for the race traces back to a Bacardi Binge one night after a Lakewood Yacht Club Board meeting. Several drinks into the evening, the group reminisced about times spent offshore sailing. One of the event's founders, John Cameron, said: "the best sails I've had were late in the fall in the Gulf after the summer doldrums are over and the winter Northers haven't started." After the hangovers wore off the next day, the group decided to put into action a plan to set them sailing their first race at the end of the full-moon cycle in October of 1987 and annually since.
The Harvest Moon Regatta set sail at 2 pm on Thursday, October 6th, ahead of the next full moon on Saturday, October 9th. Sailing the coastline south towards Port Aransas under the glowing moon for two nights, contestants hope to reach the finish line before the full moon rises at 3:54 pm Saturday where they will kick off the Harvest Moon Regatta celebration and party in Port Aransas.
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