For Immediate Release
Harvest Moon Regatta® 2017 will Race on Scheduled Dates
Seabrook , TX: Lakewood Yacht Club, Seabrook Texas, Harvest Moon Regatta® 2017
With the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey becoming clear, the Harvest Moon Regatta® Committee has had to reevaluate the ability of LYC and Bay Access to hold the race and the ability of our friends in Port Aransas to host the finish and party. While LYC and Bay Access are in good shape and anxious for the race to proceed as scheduled dates, our good friends in Port Aransas, unfortunately, did not fare as well and will not be able to host the finish or party this year. Thus, the Harvest Moon Regatta® will be run as scheduled but we will start and end in Galveston with the post-race party held at LYC in Seabrook . To support Port Aransas, we will hold the race in conjunction with a fundraiser, the Hurricane Harvey/HMR Port Aransas Recovery Fund , to provide much-needed assistance to our friends there.
 
An Amended Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions will be published soon on the HMR website to accommodate a course starting and finishing in Galveston with courses appropriate for both racing and cruising boats. Here are some of the highlights: 

•  The Harvest Moon Regatta® will be an offshore race in the Gulf of Mexico starting from the Galveston Pleasure Pier beginning at 2:00 p.m., October 5, 2017, but this year we will finish the race in the Galveston area;

•  There will be distance races appropriate for both cruising boats and racing boats;

•  The Awards presentation will be held in the South Pavilion area at Lakewood Yacht Club, Seabrook Texas;

•  Bacardi Rum party, live band, dinner and the HMR Port Aransas Recovery Fund presentations will occur on Saturday, October 7, 2017;

•  In support of the Hurricane Harvey/HMR Port Aransas Recovery Fund , Judy’s Mission® ovarian cancer foundation asks, instead of making additional donations to Sail-a-Thon™ 2017, that you make your donations to the Hurricane Harvey/HMR Port Aransas Recovery Fund ;

•  Lakewood Yacht Club will host racers in slips or on rafts in LYC’s Inner Harbor at no charge during the event;

•  Racers who have already paid for dockage in Port Aransas may choose to have their money refunded or to donate the money to the Hurricane Harvey/HMR Port Aransas Recovery Fund ;

•  Raffle Tickets are on sale now; Grand prize is a 4-Day Condo in Los Cabos, Mexico with secondary prizes including a $5,000 sail from Bank Sails and rigging items & services from West Marine Rigging Service;

•  HMR Safety Day (September 9 @ 8:30 a.m.) & HMR Skippers Meeting (September 29 @ 7:30 p.m.) will be held as scheduled.
 
We hope that the HMR racers will come out strong and enjoy the race and support our longtime friends in Port Aransas by donating to the Hurricane Harvey/HMR Port Aransas Recovery Fund .
 
Thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you at HMR 2017. Please check the website for further details www.harvestmoonregatta.com
Questions should be addressed to 2017 HMR Race Chair Paul Dunphey at HMR@lakewoodyachtclub.com .

Media Contact:
Foy Curley 
Marketing & Membership Director
Lakewood Yacht Club
Lakewood Yacht Club Drive
Seabrook, TX 77586
281.474.2511