The Screwpile Lighthouse Regatta is a Chesapeake Bay-wide sailboat racing event and a tradition among sailing enthusiasts around the world. The event begins on Sunday, July 19 and ends on Tuesday, July 21 with most sailors using the Solomons Holiday Inn as headquarters throughout the race.

The Screwpile Lighthouse Regatta began 16 years ago, when after Yachting Magazine tried to organize a sailing race years before, but stopped their efforts, Southern Maryland Sailboat Association, based in Solomons took the lead and named the race after the Screwpile Lighthouse.

The event is a three-day racing extravaganza during the day and a three-night rip-roaring party at night.
Holiday Inn reports that the event is one of the busiest weekends of the year for the hotel, but that everyone has a great time for the whole three-day event. The hotel has been housing the racers for the past 14 years and over the last four years has been the primary host to all the screwpile after-race activities.

Out on the bay, during the races, sailors compete in one to four races a day over the three-day regatta period. There are boats of all kinds – from Catalina 27s to Transpak 52s with the event purposely designed to make the racing fun for everyone involved.

Racing photos included with this article are courtesy of PhotoBoat.com. Visit http://thephotoboat.com to see more of their photography. PhotoBoat will be on the water covering the action and will provide TheBAYNET.com some great shots on the water.