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FLATTIE class sailing on Lake Washington 12 September 1939 Original photo by Wide World Photos, Seattle. From the archives of Saltwater People Historical Society© |
"The Coast Guard picket boat seen in the background acts as the starting point and one buoy of the triangular course for these "Flatties," as they start in a race on Lake Washington.
The young skippers have to use all their skills in maneuvering the craft around the markers, and competition is keen if more than one boat gets to a buoy at the same time. Mishaps are few, but once in a while they go over, and the crews get a dunking. On the part of the course that runs with the wind, the tiny sailboats get up to 12 and 15 knots with ease. The biggest trouble encountered is lack of wind, as they never can tell when it will drop off in the middle of a race, and then it takes hours for them to tack back and forth to cross the finish line."
➡️ There is a post on Saltwater People Log with the history of this class beginning at the Seattle Yacht Club and the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. They were sometimes called Geary-18s, and began in 1928. Click here.
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