One of my favorite events of the year is the late summer Howard Regatta. The event offers major drool factor with some of the nicest hardware on the lake. The people are so down to earth and friendly, this event encompasses all that makes the lake such an enjoyable place to spend time. This year marks the third year that I participated in the regatta and it was arguably one of the best. Arriving late Thursday night I met up with the rest of the RDP gang for drinks down by the Nautical Cove.
Howard regattas have a more relaxed atmosphere than most, where the participants help determine the activities of the day. Friday a large group of Howard owners decided to make the run up to Pirates for lunch. We launched and decided to head to the channel where we met up with several other Howard owners and shared drinks, stories and eventually bar-b-qued some fantastic pollo asada provide by Paul (aka Budman). After many hours, and many beverages (nonalcoholic for the captain) we decided to burn some fuel and made a quick run south past Steam Boat and floated for a bit.
It was getting late in the day and we headed back and got cleaned up for the registration get together. Once again, it was a laid back affair with participants coming and going as they pleased collecting gift bags and enjoying pizza and cocktails. After socializing a bit a few of us headed over to an RDP inmate's house that was gracious enough to have fantastic roasted pork, killer mac and cheese and fully loaded ice chests. The night concluded back at the Naked Turtle where the RDP team shut down the place. At last call, the party moved down to the cove where the drinks continued with tunes provided by one of the Howards. At this point, I'll plead the 5'th.
Saturday morning started with a raft up in Steamboat cove then a run down to The Springs for lunch. The turnout was awesome and Howard owners practically took over the entire restaurant spilling over into the bar area! After lunch, Pink Taco was on deck for running shots and overhead pictures of the parade through the channel. We found a great spot in the channel and spent several hours until it was time to pack up and head the regatta dinner party.
It was great to be able to catch up with a few people I only see at the regatta as well as meet a few new people. www.Positivetrim.com was please to provide several raffle items and additional swag for the owners. After a pretty tasty meal, we made our way back down to the Turtle for adult beverages by the bucket. After a few hours someone floated the idea (pun intended) of a night ride and provided we had a stone cold sober designated driver. Needless to say I was pretty excited to partake. We ended up pilling in Joe's (aka OldSchoolBoats) 22 Offshore and taking off for a leisurely cruise all the way around the island. Having never boated in Havasu at midnight, it was truly the highlight of the trip for me. We motored around the island and found a spot to float somewhere between Site Six and Crazy Horse. We must have stayed out there for over an hour taking it all in. The lake is so peaceful at night with zero traffic; I hope to do this again soon.
If you haven't been fortunate enough to attend a Howard regatta, I highly suggest it. Till next year!