New Haven Lighthouse Battle Fun Race is Saturday

NEW HAVEN - The Southern Connecticut Small Craft  Symposium will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 14 at  Lighthouse Point Park, according to a release.

"To commemorate the 235th anniversary of the Battle of New Haven, the starting gun for this race
will symbolize when Thomas Painter standing watch on July 4, 1779 sounded the alarm cannon
and sent a drummer to sound the call to arms on that quiet Sunday night," the release said.
(Scroll down for the rest of the historic story)

Organizers promise : "something for everyone," with Displays-Presentations, In Water demonstrations, kayak and canoe tryouts, tours of the lighthouse, Kayak Tour/Nature Tours, Fun Kayak race, Raffle Prizes, Flair Demonstration,  bring your expired flairs for disposal; bring your boat - receive your USCGA safety check

Race information:
Registration: 10 – 11:30 a.m – Area B
Sign up for your category
• Recreational kayaks < 13’ – Fleet A
• Recreational kayaks > 13’ – Fleet B
Attach numbers to right (starboard) side of boat with duct tape
Pre-Race Skippers Meeting – 11:30 – Area I
At this meeting the 2.1 NM race course will be discussed
• Start/Finish at Jetty near Lighthouse,  turn at Marker at far end of Breakwater,  turn at far side of Rock near Morgan Point
• Head along beach to Finish line

Safety information and race course safety: Boats not past the halfway mark by 1:00 will be escorted off the water. Race Start – 12 noon and 12:10 (Incoming tide near high tide ~ 1:00PM)
• Review chart of triangular course
leg SSW ~ 220°
leg ENE ~ 75°
 leg WNW ~ 315°
Finish line is between marker and jetty
Call out number as you pass – do not cross course to get back to beach
• Land on west side of jetty or take out a boat ramp
Award Ceremony – 2:00 (sooner if results tally quickly)
• Prizes for top three finishers in each category

The rest of the historic story:
"Brigadier General Garth and his invading party met a resistance force of only twenty-five young
Colonials as he landed in West Haven and burned houses along the way to the West Haven
Green," the release said. "Simultaneously, General Tyron had landed at Lighthouse Point near Black Rock Fort that was manned with only nineteen local militia commanded by Lieutenant Pierpont. This small  force fired at the British on the beach until the fort ran out of ammunition."
"General Tyron sent out two patrols, one to capture the militia at Black Point Fort and the other to
disperse the forces gathering at Beacon Hill, closer to New Haven. As he and his troops marched
to the city, they burned buildings, killed patriot citizens, and became drunk on plentiful local
rum. By nightfall, the British troops, drunk and demoralized by the constant sniper fire and
ungentlemanly harassment of the militia, welcomed the opportunity to return to their ships, but
not before taking about 40 prisoners and setting fire to the barracks at Black Point Fort.