Blog – Black Bear Yacht Racing Association

March 1, 2026

Welcome to Black Bear Yacht Racing Association. BBYRA is a sailing, racing and social club located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The club conducts sailboat races, classroom instruction, on-the water training and various social events throughout the year.

Sailors,

Click to Reserve seats now for November 1 Awards Banquet to be held at Rudy’s RedEye Grill.

See Scores & Standings for final race results.

Watch video from June 13 race taken by Tom Bain on his Paceship 23.

Crew Available: Benjamin Tierney of Mahtomedi is looking to help crew boats. Contact him at bentierney@gmail.com

Click for member application for 2026 Sailing Season –[pdf]

View new tri-fold club brochure –pdf

Race CommentaryTo: BBYRA · Sat, Sep/ 26 at 3:47 PM

Hi all,

What a great final race this was. Or should I say it was Bizzilu Day.

With a perfectly set course, good wind and no rain it ended up to be a 1h race that was contested until the finish line. And look at that!: Bizzilu corrected to take first by 6s. With the first 5 boats within a minute on corrected time. I guess Bizzilu got so scared my chasing them that they put the afterburner on. In the front of the pack Water Dog and Licence2Chill battled it out for line honors. I take it we all had a lot of fun and got a good workout. After a good meal and sone bantering at the VFW we were all ready for a nap.

Sadly the season is over now.

Hope to see everyone at the banquet.

Jochen

To: BBYRA · Wed, Sep/ 24 at 3:47 PM

HI all,

What a wonderful day out with plenty wind, challanging shifts and very comfortable temperatures.

Because of the high wind Bob set up a corse in a bit of a sheltered but smaller corner of the lake and made it a T+O (yes, a triangle followed by an olympic). So we had to sail up to the windward mark with its random 90-120 degree wind shifts four times, if you count the finish. No matter how much you over stood on approach, you would still find yourself 50 yards below the mark/pin.

Heard Bizzylu tried their luck with barging and got schooled by Bain. Never a good idea but great when a slot happens to open. And Brad: No, at the starting line all MN-Nice is gone. At least Tom did the right thing and did not force you right into the boat but certainly had to protest you.

As always: Fair winds and always some water under the keel,

Jochen

Tuesday evening June 16, was very windy but after our race started at 6:30 the wind dropped off quickly, making for a frustratingly slow second half. However, look how beautiful the evening was!

BBYRA Now Accepts Donations

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Keel Boat Racing FYI

Boating Terms & Resources

Sailboat racing is easier than you think … more

Click here for Racing Rules Quiz – used at racing seminars.

Get cut off from a race? File a Protest Form.

2026 Race Season

Race Scores – Click here.

Calendar – Click here.

Boats For Sale – Need a keel boat to sail? Click on link. Or use tab in top menu.

Media

“Racing Season Begins on White Bear Lake” ~ White Bear Press (click)

Lake Superior 2016: Small boat cruising on Lake Superior’s North Shore and Nipigon Bay in a Precision 165.

2016 Leech Lake Regatta: Drone footage from a Phantom 4.

“How an All-Woman Sailing Crew Proved the Critics Wrong,” Article published 6/13/2019 in Wall St. Journal. Read pdf

Documentary ‘Maiden’ tracks the 1989 journey of Tracy Edwards, who led the first female crew in the grueling Whitbread Round the World Race See trailer: https://youtu.be/OMBM10cBhIs

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Sailors,

Race CommentaryTo: BBYRA · Sat, Sep/ 26 at 3:47 PM

BBYRA Now Accepts Donations

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