FWYC Letter Log October 2017 | Page 5

O Beacon Group Viper 640 North Americans n October 21, boats will begin arriving at the Fort Wal- ton Yacht Club for the 2017 Beacon Group Viper 640 North American Championship. The official regatta begins on Tuesday, October 24 and goes through October 28, with prac- tice races and seminars beginning October 22. The Viper 640 is a 21 foot high-performance one-design sport boat. Over seventy boats are registered for this huge event, which will be the largest gathering of Viper 640s in the world. With a crews of three sailing on each boat, FWYC will be buzzing with activity during the regatta week. Many wet slip renters are making plans to vacate their slips for the week of the regatta and dry storage renters as well are planning to emp- ty their slips for the week. This sailing event is a culmination of several years of planning and organizing by many FWYC members and the Viper 640 fleet. FWYC will reap the benefits with an increase in revenue as well as exposure to many people who will be first time visi- tors to our Club. This is one of the largest regattas that FWYC has hosted in recent years. 5