The lagging economy has reduced the number of boats entered in this year’s Whidbey Island Race Week, but that won’t deter from the spectacle and speed of wind-powered racing when the 27th annual event kicks off Sunday, July 12.

The six-day event continues through July 17 and attracts some of the best boats and crews to what has been billed as the Pacific Northwest’s “Adult Summer Camp.”

Whidbey Island Race Week is one of the five biggest regattas on the West Coast and Sailing magazine lists the event as one of the top regattas in the country.

Race Director Gary Stuntz, owner of Clear Ahead Sailmakers in Tacoma, said all is going well with this year’s race.

“I think we are going to end up with about 90 boats this year,” he said this week. “That is down from last year when we had 122 registered, but 90 boats isn’t a bad number the way times are.”

Oak Harbor Marina Harbormaster Mack Funk said the marina is busy preparing for the event and he thinks 2009 version of Race Week is going to be another good one.

The exterior of the marina building has been scraped and will be painted before the boats begin to arrive, and Funk said other amenities have been added to make the hundreds of out-of-town guests’ stay in Oak Harbor even more enjoyable.

“We have created an information and resource map using the marina as mile zero,” Funk said.

The brochure shows the distances to all the stores and restaurants in downtown Oak Harbor, including parks and the Waterfront Trail, in addition to banks, pharmaceutical stores, gas stations and the post office.

Frank Barnes, whom Funk describes as a long-time marina patron, will act as host and be on hand after hours to welcome and greet boaters, and provide guests with the brochure.

Again this year, the Navy will allow campers to use its property adjacent to the marina parking lot.

Funk said the camping area is like an extension of the marina’s parking lot. He estimated at least 500 people made use of the facility last year.

“We’re getting excited, things are shaping up pretty well,” he said.

Slip-wise, the guest boaters will be using the F dock, which is at the far western edge of the marina.

The dock was partially state-funded when built, but the marina is allowed to rent slips as conditional moorage. Boats now using the conditional moorage will move out during Race Week, giving guest boats room to dock.

Another new addition to Race Week this year is Mike Miller’s Weiner Wagon that is a regular fixture parked in front of Saar’s Market Place.

The Oak Harbor Yacht Club serves breakfast for boat crews and Miller will have his cart parked next to the marina office at 8 o’clock every morning to dish up biscuits and gravy and breakfast sandwiches, along with hot coffee and juice.

In the afternoon, Miller will have burgers, hot dogs, Polish sausage and Bratwurst on the wagon’s grill ready for consumption by hungry race goers.

“He’s kind of a go-getter and a good guy,” Funk remarked.

Rex Dupuis, vice commander of the Oak Harbor Yacht Club, said Whidbey Island Race Week is the club’s “flag ship” event.

“The money we make helps us finance our annual operations,” he said.

Yacht Club member Dan Wright added the event is a wonderful program for the city and gives people the opportunity to see what’s available in Oak Harbor.

“I don’t know about this year where all the boats are coming from, but in years past we’ve had boats from all over the country,” he said. “That’s a good deal for Oak Harbor.”

Several boats registered for Race Week have been “tuning up” at the weekly Wednesday evening racing event sponsored by the yacht club.

These boats included the Magic Juan, captained by Shannon Buys, and Byron Skubi’s Skookumchuck.

Billy Wind, who said he is originally from Florida and now lives in Oak Harbor, was getting in some time aboard the Renaissance.

The Renaissance won’t be competing during race week, but Wind will.

“I’m one of those types of guys who will race on any boat,” he said. “I’ve competed at Race Week for a couple-three years, and this year I’ll be aboard the Avalanche.”

Pete Hillberry, who has been involved in Whidbey Island Race week since its inception, could be called the event’s historian and has stories to tell about nearly every race.

Hillberry said the event has generally gotten bigger every year and once had major sponsors that later dropped out. Now the event is locally sponsored.

This year Ohana Harbor Coffee has taken over as the new title sponsor.

Each day during race week there is a different sponsor. These include Fisheries Supply, Robichaud Batten Systems, Ulman Sails, Northwest Rigging and Prism Graphics.

“The thing is every Race Week is a different adventure, but the same people are always here,” Hillberry said.

The yearly event does have an impact on local businesses, particularly motels around town, but restaurant business varies.

Chris Pantoleon, owner of Zorba’s Restaurant, said his establishment may get a few extra tables, but the majority of the race crowd does their eating and drinking down at the marina.

John Youngsman, who works at the Lava Lounge, said he expects his establishment will be busy, but they weren’t putting on any additional help.

“We’ll be covered, but most of the activities take place at the marina. The racers don’t come downtown and spend money like they used to,” he said.

Looking further ahead, Stuntz said Race Week 2010 is going to be bigger and better than ever with more boats entered because there are going to be some championship races around the country with one-design boats entered and he expects them to show up next year.

With Race Week just a few days away, preparations continue at a fever pitch. The boats should begin arriving on Friday, July 10.