Big Little Boat Festival Races & Rendezvous

BIG LITTLE BOAT FESTIVAL RACES & RENDEZVOUS COMING MAY 22, 2021

Race and Rendezvous Day for Small Craft: Rowing, Paddling, SUP, and Sailing

Chesapeake Light Craft, the boat kit experts, announce the 2021 Big Little Boat Festival Races & Rendezvous, coming to the campus of Camp Wabanna, south of Annapolis, MD, on Saturday, May 22.

Races start and finish in front of the beautiful Camp Wabanna campus just south of Annapolis. Centered at the intersection of the Rhode and West Rivers, there will be plenty of space to launch watercraft. Bring your boat or paddleboard to race in 1-, 3-, or 8-mile races for paddlers (seated and standing), rowers, and sailors, or try your luck on the 20-mile race!

The 20-miler is a debut event for Raid Chesapeake, a new organization intended to develop and manage point-to-point "adventure" races on the Chesapeake Bay for small boats powered by paddle, oar, and sail.

Those who aren’t interested in racing, even on the 1-mile fun race, are welcome to participate in other ways.

Got a beautiful home-built boat? Bring it to participate in an afternoon boat parade, or just show it off on the lawn -- prizes for the best work! Don't have a home-built boat? No worries! Bring what you have and play on the water with other small-boat enthusiasts. All types are welcome.

The cost to enter the 3-, 8-, and 20-mile races is $40 until May 5, $60 thereafter. Entry in the 1-mile race and the builders’ competition is included in the festival entry fee of $10 in advance, $20 at the gate.

There's also ample room for camping in tents and small campers. Friday and/or Saturday night camping will be available.  The snack bar will be open for lunch options on Saturday, and there is a big playground available for kids.

The successor to CLC’s traditional OkoumeFest small boat rendezvous, the Big Little Boat Festival had to be canceled last year due to COVID restrictions; this year, we’re excited to be back on the water with our friends, although the festival itself will be limited to a single day of racing and home-built boat competition.

Due to pandemic restrictions, the extensive CLC fleet of boats will not be available for demos and the usual seminars also have been canceled this year. Look for a reintroduction of both of these elements in 2022.

For details and registration, please see www.clcboats.com/festival.