KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) - Organizers of Key West Race Week have canceled the 2018 regatta in the Florida Keys. In a statement on the Storm Trysail Club's website , Leonard Sitar and John Fisher said the annual sailing race became unsustainable because of declining participation and dependence on sponsorship.
They said they're exploring other formats that address changes in the sport of sailing.
Key West hosted the race for 30 years. According to The Citizen , 90 sailboats raced in January, compared with 130 in 2016. Participation peaked at 326 in 2001.
The president of the Keys lodging association, Jodi Weinhofer, said the January regatta wasn't as lucrative for hotel owners as the annual powerboat races each fall. But she said the sailboats provided priceless promotion for winter tourism in Key West.