Coach and Support Boat Information

Coaches and parent or other support personnel and their boats are an important part of this regatta. Niantic Bay Yacht Club will do its best to provide you with information and facilities to meet your needs.

Elsewhere on this website are maps and information about the area and specifically the location of nearby launch ramps and marinas with fuel, ramp and transient slip facilities. Arrangements have been made with Boats Inc and Port Niantic marinas to store power boat trailers at no charge on their winter storage lots which are nearby the East Lyme town launch ramp.

Optis will be launched off the western section of a beach known as Hole in the Wall Beach immediately east of McCook’s Point. There are currently no dock or slip facilities at this location. NBYC intends to install a 200' Temporary Dock at this site. Due to the large number of Coach and Support boats anticipated boats may be required to raft together and have adequate numbers of fenders to protect themselves and adjacent boats.

This system has a capacity of 60-65 small power boats and will be reserved first for coach boats and then for support boats. Priority will be given to coach and support boats on a first pre-registered basis, and then on a registered basis. USODA is providing numbered flags for these boats.

Power boats are not permitted to land on Hole in the Wall Beach. In the event of bad weather forecasts operators may be required to remove their boats from the Temporary Dock and pull their boats from the water, make independent arrangements for anchorage, or obtain moorings or slips with nearby marinas. There is a Special Anchorage located approximately ½ mile southwest of Hole in the Wall Beach and NBYC will provide free launch service from this anchorage to the Temporary Dock. Please see the Dockage and Mooring/Anchoring sub sections under Need to Know for additional information, or click here.

Coaches and parents/others who have boats must register their boats and upon arrival on August 6 to receive their designated flags and staffs from the registration desk. These flags and staffs are provided by USODA and a $50 deposit or credit card # on file will be required.

Further information regarding Coach and Support boats may be posted at this website or on the Official Regatta Notice Board.