Big Sun Regatta & Harpoon Nationals

Big Sun Regatta

The original Big Sun Regatta was established in the late 1970s and continued until the early 1990s. From there OSC established the Frostbite Regatta (in February) and then our Lake Weir Invitational which was held in the spring and continued for sixteen years. A few years ago, our spring race was renamed “Big Sun Regatta” again in honor of Ocala Sailing Club’s origins. It is a two-day regatta in April and coincides with our annual Harpoon 5.2 Nationals.

Harpoon 5.2 Nationals

It all began in the year 2000, when new OSC members (a couple that had never even been on a sailboat) showed up with a seventeen-foot Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2. They bragged about how versatile this boat was – as it could be sailed, motored, paddled, or rowed. The scuppers made the 5.2 self-bailing and its flotation design made it impossible to sink in case of capsize. It was not long before OSC had the largest fleet of Harpoon 5.2 in the country (12), and decided to establish the Harpoon 5.2 Nationals. We held our first regatta in 2005 and attracted sailors from many states (Florida, Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, Arkansas)... and even competitors from Jamaica. We celebrated our 18^th annual Harpoon 5.2 Nationals in the spring of 2023.

SEE UPCOMING REGATTAS ON OUR EVENTS PAGE