Racing a sailboat is not unlike racing a car. Except sailboats don't have steering wheels, brakes or gas pedals.
And they rely entirely on wind.
Better let Fresno Yacht Club commodore Dave Mosher explain:
"Adjusting sails is like shifting gears in a car," Mosher said. "You have to shift gears constantly depending on whether you're going uphill, downhill or around corners.
"Sailboat racing works the same way, except you're going upwind or downwind. You have to be able to shift gears, and you have to be able to do it easily and quickly."
The annual High Sierra Regatta, which continues this weekend at Huntington Lake, is the ideal setting for a crash course in sailing appreciation.
Approximately 150 keel-class boats, the maximum the Forest Service allows, are expected to race this weekend at one of the West Coast's top sailing venues.
Huntington Lake is surrounded by mountains on three sides and contained on its western end by dams that produce hydroelectric power for Southern California Edison.
On summer days, hot air from the central San Joaquin Valley expands as it rises up the Big Creek drainage, replacing cool air that has settled above the lake at night. This thermal effect creates a natural funnel that produces consistent westerly winds averaging 15 mph.
"If you look down the lake at 10:30 in the morning, you can actually see the wind coming up the lake -- like clockwork," said Bill Parsons of Auberry, who sails in the competitive San Juan 21 class. "Unless there are thunderclouds, Huntington Lake is going to be a great place to sail."
Only twice in 56 years have race officials been forced to alter the course because of a lack of wind.
Temperatures in Fresno this weekend are expected to top 100 degrees. At Huntington Lake, which sits at 7,000 feet elevation, it's supposed to be in the mid-70s.
Just another reason to watch sailboats unfurl their colorful spinnakers in a picturesque setting.
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