The inaugural Howard Lee Memorial Race will take place on Friday evening in the Hamilton Harbour, starting and finishing at the Flagpole.The veteran sailor died last August and recently the Corporation of Hamilton donated the Howard Lee Memorial Trophy to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club to commemorate the life of Bermuda’s first black Olympic sailor.Lee sailed in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada in the Finn Class, but sailed in other classes as well, including the Fitted Dinghies, Comets, Laser and Sunfish. .The memorial race will be contested between the two Hamilton sailing clubs, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, starting at 6pm.Rather than a normal windward-leeward race format the race will start off the Flagpole, go out to a few islands within the harbour and return for a finish in front of the Flagpole.Afterwards participants and spectators are invited back to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club for a presentation and barbecue.Said Mayor of Hamilton, Graeme Outerbridge: “It is my hope that this perpetual annual award will help encourage diverse racing in the Bermuda Fitted Dinghy between the two Royal Clubs.“It is important to recognise the rich history of this traditional sailing vessel which Howard was involved with.”The Bermuda Fitted Dinghy season runs from May 24 through early September. There are currently four active teams: Contest III (RBYC), Elizabeth II (RHADC), Victory IV (St George’s Dinghy Club) and Challenger II (Sandys Boat Club).The BFD is a traditional wooden boat with wooden spares measuring 14.1 feet in length before the bow sprit is placed and is sailed with a crew of six to seven people. The most important job on the boat is that of bailer.