THOUSAND OAKS : Sabot Championship at Westlake Lake

More than 60 boats will sail Westlake Lake this weekend during the National Sabot Championships sponsored by the Westlake Yacht Club.

Organizers say fleets from Morro Bay to Long Beach will sail in regatta, which is open to all members of the U.S. Sabot Assn. Sailors will be divided into three classes for the half-mile course.

Sabots are 8-foot-long, 80- to 90-pound boats primarily used to train young sailors. But this weekend’s competition is open to all age groups, from juniors (under 18) to masters (over 40). The original designer of the boat, Sydney Blinder, who is in his 70s, will sail.

“The interesting thing about sabots is that people stay with them through their adult years, until they can’t fit in them anymore,” said Westlake Yacht Club spokeswoman Susan Artof.

“For the little kids, it gives them a great deal of security,” she said. “These boats float when they capsize and kids learn quickly how to jump back into the boat and bail it out.”

Artof said the tiny boats also can be a gateway to racing larger ones. She said several former Westlake Yacht Club members started out sailing sabots and are now training for the 1996 Olympics.

The regatta begins at noon today and Sunday. Entry forms are available at the Westlake Yacht Club at 32123 Lindero Canyon Road in Westlake Village and must be submitted by 11 this morning.