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Whether you are new to sailing or a seasoned sailor, sailboat racing is a great way to get time on the water, improve your sailing skills and enjoy the camaraderie with other racers.  The Lake Manawa Sailing Association (LMSA) offers club racing twice a week, cruiser racing on select Sundays and has an active Match Race League. Check out our Sailing School page for upcoming racing classes and seminars.

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
Open Class (Wed/Sat) Sailing Instructions
Cruiser Fleet (Sun) Sailing Instructions

RACING RULES
Summary of Basic Racing Rules
Racing Rules of Sailing 2021-2024

RACE SCHEDULE – See LMSA Calendar

RACE COMMITTEE COORDINATION		RACE STANDINGS BY ASSOCIATION
INSA Standings
ENSA Standings – Wednesday – Mono-hulls
ENSA Standings – Wednesday – Catamarans
ENSA Standings – Saturday – Mono-hulls
ENSA Standings – Saturday – Catamarans
Cruiser Fleet Standings
Archive of Final Season Standings for Prior Years
2023 BLUE RIBBONS

Sat. 8/26 The Sigrid Festersen
Wed. 8/30 The Pennie Davis Blue Ribbon		Association standings will be posted each
Monday (starting in May 16th). Please
contact your Association’s score keeper
if there are any questions on standings.
Racers must be a member of the respective
association to be scored in the association
standings.

Weekly Club Races

Club races are held twice a week at Lake Manawa. 

  • Who: All LMSA members are welcome to race; however, we highly encourage you to join one of the sailing associations listed below to get the full benefits of the racing community.
  • What: Generally 3 to 4 sailboat races on each race day.
  • When: Races are held Wednesday night (start of first race is 6pm) and Saturday afternoon (start of first race 1:30pm). Weekly races start mid-May and run through the end of September.  Download the this year’s racing schedule (coming in April) or visit the LMSA calendar for the most up to date racing information.
  • How: Download the racing instructions for weekly races.
  • Here are the highlights:
    • LMSA has a dedicated Race Committee (RC).
    • If you are not a member of one of the associations listed below, please swing by the RC boat and let them know your name and boat type before the race starts.
    • The RC uses the GroupMe app (free and no account required) to communicate about whether races will be on or cancelled on race day.  Click here to find out how to join the racing group on GroupMe (members only).

Sailing Associations

Racers are encouraged to join one of the two sailing associations below. Why join? Each sailing association offers a community to support and encourage racers.  In addition to socials and seminars, these associations track scoring and report standings of racers within the respective association for the year.

1) One Design Snipe Class Sailboat Racing (INSA – Iowa Nebraska Sailing Association)

If you will be racing a Snipe, we encourage you to join the one design Snipe Fleet run by INSA (also known as Snipe Fleet #309).  Don’t own a Snipe, but interested in racing one? Join INSA and they will help introduce you to Snipe racing, hook you up with a loaner Snipe to try out or help you find one to buy.

  • Membership Cost: $40
  • Questions? Contact the INSA Commodore, Jesse Shumaker
  • Want to find out more? Visit the Snipe page for more information.
  • Ready to join? Add Snipe Class (INSA) membership to your cart.

2) Open Class Sailboat Racing (ENSA – Eastern Nebraska Sailing Association)

All sailboat types and skill levels of sailors are welcome to join and race with ENSA. We have fleets of dinghies and day sailors, catamarans, and cruisers and keel boats. In open class racing the fleets race together using the Portsmouth Handicap system of scoring.

Racing Association FAQs

  • Do I have to have a boat to join an Association? No
  • Does my crew have to join? No
  • Can I join more than one Association? Yes
  • Can I race if I am not a member of an association? Yes, but you will only be scored for the day of the race.  You will not be included in the annual fleet scoring.

Cruiser Fleet Racing

Cruisers at least 750 lbs and 18ft are welcome to join us for cruiser races twice a month on Sundays at 1:30pm. Racing will use the PHRF handicap. Racers will need to run race committee at least one race day during the season to participate.

Match Race League

The Manawa Match Race League (MMRL) races two Santana 20 sailboats against each other.  Match race league teams are formed before the start of the season and usually consist of 3 to 6 teams with 3 to 4 individual per team.  Match Race League is a great way to up your sailing and racing skills.