Skippers and race crews from around the world have arrived in Lake Havasu City to prepare for HAVAMEGA, the final Hobie Cat North American Championship of the year.

Fifteen-year-old skipper Nate Brown, of San Francisco, and brother Ben Brown, 13, work together to ready the sail of his Hobie 16 Sunday morning in the sand at London Bridge Beach. Jayne Hanson/News-Herald Photo.

A number of Hobie Cat race participants are pleased with Lake Havasu City as the stage for the final NAC race of the season, but most are wishing for windy conditions.

Hobie Cat skippers Pat Porter, of Sacramento, and Blair Wallace, of Lake Tahoe, Calif., agreed the venue has nice weather, hotels, restaurants, perfect beaches and things to do.

“Maybe it is too nice, and the wind doesn’t blow,” Porter said.

There is a regional race circuit that includes locations in Northern and Southern California, California, Utah and Colorado. As the race events get under way from place to place, faces of other racers become familiar, Porter said.

“Then, when you go to a national or world event, you basically get to know everybody,” said Porter, who has been racing since 1974.

One familiar race face was from halfway around the globe.

“It is very unusual to come and race in the desert, we usually race in the ocean. It will be a different experience for us,” said Grahame Southwick, of Fiji. Southwick has had many years of experience on the water as a tuna boat captain, but he said he began sailing Hobies about 15 years ago

Unable to travel from the Pacific island with his gear, Southwick chartered a Hobie 16, and Lake Havasu Yacht Club arranged for a second person, or crew, to race with him this week, he said.

Among the Hobie Cat racers were a three-generation team from San Francisco set to race this week.

Skipper Nate Brown, 15, and brother Ben Brown, 13, are preparing to race in the HAVAMEGA Hobie 16 class competition. It takes two to operate the 16-foot sailboat, Nate said.

“I hope the wind will pick up so it is worth coming. The vacation is kind of nice,” Nate said. The brothers packed their homework with their racing gear and a good wind would be a solid excuse to avoid their studies — but probably only in a family of sailors.

The Brown brothers said it was their 67-year-old grandfather Rafi Yahalom who first introduced them to sailing. Nate said he began his race career at age 9.

Yahalom is also in Havasu and will race his Hobie 20 with his daughter Dafna Brown as his crew.

Dafna began racing when she was in high school in 1984. “My brother went off to college. My dad looked around and said ‘I need a crew — You’,” Dafna said. She raced her first Nationals race in 1985.

“I think it is cool that three generations are sailing, that my dad got the kids sailing and that Nate is skippering at 15,” Dafna said.

Dafna had to step in as Nate’s crew earlier this year at a race in Santa Barbara, Calif.

“It’s really interesting taking direction from your child,” she said of sailing with him. “I get it from both directions. I have my father telling me what to do and I have my son telling me what to do.”

The boys’ grandmother also traveled to town for HAVAMEGA.

“I wish that more youth would participate in sailing. They get an experience they cannot get on the Internet,” said Haya Yahalom. “It teaches them so much. They take care of the boats and they learn respect for on another.”

At least one Hobie official thought Havasu was a good pick, but the weather is weighing heavy on his mind.

“The beaches are wonderful, but I am concerned about what the wind is going to do,” said Dave Martin, of Las Vegas and Hobie Class Association of North America Division 2 chairman.

Skipper Denny Osburn, of Carlsbad, Calif., said he doesn’t even check the weather. “I just take what I am given,” he said. Osburn has been sailing since 1968 and began sailing Hobie Cats about 15 years ago.

The traveling, camping and camaraderie that accompanies these events can include guitar playing and singing silly songs about sailing, said Mark Ashburn, of Las Vegas. He is unable to race but traveled to Havasu to connect with some Hobie Cat race friends who were in town.

“There is a nice mix of so many people from all different walks of life,” Ashburn said.

You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.

HAVAMEGA 2009 race times:

Today races begin 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday through Friday races begin at 11 a.m.

HAVAMEGA's three race courses:

Alpha Race Course for Hobie Tigers and Hobie 20s is located in the waters just south of Crazy Horse Campgrounds and Lake Havasu State Park’s Windsor 4. Offers a good visual vantage point from Island’s northern shore or Windsor 4.

Bravo Race Course for Hobie 17s and Hobie 18s is located in the waters west of the Island north of Site Six. Offers a good visual vantage point from area north of Site Six on the Island

Charlie Race Course for Hobie Waves, Hobie 16s and Hobie 16 Trapseats is located in the waters on the outskirts of Thompson Bay. Offers a fair visual vantage point since racers are utilizing the area a bit farther offshore compared to racecourses A and B.