Regatta season is back and Coach has given you the fall schedule which means families everywhere are dusting off gear, cramming too much into the car, and bracing for hotel bills that sting more than a jellyfish. After a few seasons of this madness, you start to realize there are unspoken truths every regatta parent learns the hard way. So, in the spirit of saving your sanity, here’s a list of travel tips—equal parts useful and “well, at least you’ll laugh about it later.”

🏨 Hotel Math
Closest, nicest, cheapest. You can only pick two. (And sometimes not even that…) So you practice the FIBI – F*&^ It Book It method and hope for the best.

☕ Coffee Check
Forget thread count. The real hotel rating system = how early the coffee starts flowing. And bring one of these because no hotel coffee cup stands up to the regatta morning chaos.

🧳 Packing Reality
All you care about is NOT LOSING LUGGAGE. That’s why you can’t go wrong with this bag. Fits in the overhead bin and can be worn as a backpack!

🧼 Laundry Law
The more you pack, no matter how well you thought you packed, you’ll need to do laundry… in a hotel sink.

🔋 Power Struggle
One hotel room, five devices, two outlets. No one gives you a chance to charge. So get yourself one of these and at least something won’t be losing energy in the extreme sun.

🍕 Dinner Plans
At some point, you will eat pizza in the lobby. Accept it now.

🌧️ Weather Curveball
Whatever the forecast says, pack for the opposite. Regattas live to prove the weatherman wrong. Be sure to pack one of these.

🪑 Folding Chair Truth
I’m known for hating the hassle of folding chairs but I just caved and bought one of these. IT. IS. THE. BEST. And I love that these were created by two families on the same struggle bus.

Final Thought

Regatta travel is equal parts chaos, comedy, and camaraderie. Sure, the hotels are overpriced, the weather’s unpredictable, and the gear never seems to stay clean—but you wouldn’t trade these weekends for anything. Because in the middle of the madness, you get the best part: watching your sailor grow, race hard, and love every second on the water. 🌊⛵️