The 35th annual Sarasota Youth Sailing SailFest regatta drew more than 250 sailors and their families from throughout the region to race Optimist and ILCA sailboats and 420 courses off the shore of the Sarasota Sailing Squadron and Ken Thompson Park this weekend.

The two-day event is Sarasota Youth Sailing's largest annual fundraising event, and proceeds support the local youth sailors, providing sailing programming for kids ages 5 to 18.

Sarasota Youth Sailing started as a summer camp program and has since grown, with roughly 400 youths attending each summer. Now it has more than 75 sailors participating in its year-round program and supports teams from Sarasota High School, Riverview, Sarasota Military Academy, Pine View and Manatee High School. Teams go on to race both locally and nationally.