Rick Burgess Tomahawk & 12th District Championships

As the Fleet Captain of the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club, I am especially excited to welcome you to the 2025 Rick Burgess Tomahawk / 12^th District Championships!

This is a special year as not only does it celebrate the 90^th season of Star sailing on Lake Hopatcong, but it also gave us an opportunity to recognize and celebrate a true champion of Star sailing, my father, Rick Burgess!

I’m sure if you are reading this, you know Rick and all the joy that he’s brought to this sport.  What you may not know is that he has sailed in every single Tomahawk Regatta since at least 1966!  That’s a 21-year-old Rick Burgess… Can you imagine!!!!  And since then, hasn’t missed a single one!  Consecutive – for nearly 60 years! 

So, we got together and decided that obviously our club is amazing, because why else would anyone come 60 years in a row?   LOL!   And then we rethought about how amazing Rick is and thought it was appropriate to rename the Tomahawk after him!

Rick was not a LHYC member - he sailed for many years out of Greenwood Lake NJ & Seneca Lake NY.  However, the Lake Hopatcong Club has always welcomed all visiting sailors and strives to make everyone feel like members! 

We’d be honored to have you attend this year’s special event.

So, a couple things:

1. The Tomahawk is an open regatta, but it is being sailed in conjunction with the 12^th District Championships. It will be raced together, but scoring will be separate.  If you are a 12^th District sailor, you MUST be in good standing with the Star class (dues paid) in order to sail this event.
2. There is a Liability Waiver as well as 12^th District registration form on this Clubspot post.
3. Register as a MEMBER and enter your sail number as your member number.
4. Housing is available on a limited, 1^st come, 1^st served basis (and filling quickly). Contact Tom Flinn at 973-476-1628 or tdfesq7729@gmail.com to request housing.
5. There are a couple reasonable hotels nearby that as of this posting are not sold out:

• Quality Inn Ledgewood – Dover 1691 Us Highway 46, Ledgewood, NJ, 07852
• Baymont by Wyndham Budd Lake 102 Us Highway 46, Budd Lake, NJ, 07828
• Days Inn by Wyndham Budd Lake 138 Route 46, Budd Lake, NJ, 07828

4. The venue for the Friday night event could possibly change due to weather and other factors, so please be on the lookout for an amendment to the NOR.
5. Trailer parking is expected to be tight, so please feel free to text me and let me know when you expect to arrive so I can ensure you have a good place to park your boat. My cell: 973-975-7868
6. HAVE FUN & ENJOY YOURSELVES! If you need anything, just ask!

Thank you!!! 

Rich Burgess Jr.