LAKE WISSOTA, Wis. (WEAU) - "You can't beat a national regatta as a sailor. You enjoy racing it's the highlight of the season," said Troy Neurauter, Minneapolis sailor.

It’s a national race that the Lake Wissota Yacht Club has hoped to host again since 2009.

But it’s a sport that Mother Nature plays a big factor into.

"In the point of being safety and since we had really good winds this morning, we decided to call the race early today and we'll be back on the water [on Sunday]," said Joe Horan, Race Chairman & Racer.

"If we see storms coming in, we'll tighten up things so there's no damage," said Neurauter.

The expected storms didn't keep the 10 boats sailing from competing in four races. Boats from Las Vegas to Tennessee were ready for a race unlike any other.

Each sailboat is the same, weighing in at about 1100 pounds. Therefore this competition is not just about speed, it’s about who can manage the same boat the best.

"The races are to a windward mark, to a downwind mark and back to a windward mark," said Horan.

I even got a tour of a sailboat to understand how it works on and off the water.

"We got a main sheik and a traveler that travels across the middle of the boat…We can lift it out of the water, lift the keel up so it rides on a trailer much like a speed boat," said Jim Donadio, Minneapolis sailor

While racers waited for the storms to come through, one racer says the main challenge will be on Sunday, because there’s lighter winds is expected.

"Light air racing is very difficult. We'll be making changes to the boat before we go out on the water definitely," said Neurauter.

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LAKE WISSOTA, Wis. (WEAU) -- Sailboats will be racing this weekend on Lake Wissota in Chippewa County.

The 2012 Holder 20 One Design Class National Sailboat Regatta will have ten to fifteen boats from all over the country competing.

The Lake Wissota Yacht Club is hosting the race this year.

You can see the boats racing Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It may be possible to view some of the racing at the lake from the overlook of Lake Wissota at the Lake Wissota State Park.

Spectators can also watch the race from the water in their own boats staying adequately clear of the race course.