Dictionaries define “regatta” as a “boat race or a series of boat races.”

Warren Aldrich defines “regatta” simply as a time of fun.

And that is just what Aldrich and members of the Rotary Club of Harris County and the R/C Boaters Commodore Club at Longleaf Community at Callaway Gardens hope Monday’s third annual R/C Model Boat and Seaplane Regatta at Oakhurst Farm in West Point will be.

Aldrich said the event began “when a bunch of us old guys who build model boats and like to do the remote-control races got together and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ “

Dennis Croll of the Harris County Rotary Club said, “We started doing it in Callaway Gardens during the big balloon weekend, and we sold raffle tickets and raised a lot of money for our international water project.”

The next year, attendance doubled, Aldrich said.

“The event got very popular,” Croll said, “so we decided to move it, and try to make it a family event and involve the kids.”

Aldrich said, “We have really planned it this year to have some great events.”

A doughnuts and coffee time at 7:30 a.m. for what Aldrich and Croll call “early birds” precedes registration for modelers at 9 a.m.

From 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., races, demonstrations and the utility boat competition will take place. Participants will be recognized at an awards ceremony and dinner immediately after the last race.

During the day, there will be kite flying, hayrides, an animal petting zoo, mini-sailboat building and races in the small pond, mini-horse cart rides, off-road remote-control truck demonstrations, and an airplane simulator.

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 4 to 11. Proceeds will support the Aflac Cancer Center of Atlanta and the Harris County Rotary service projects, Aldrich said.

“You just have to come see it to believe it,” he said.

— The third annual R/C Model Boat and Seaplane Regatta is from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday at Oakhurst Farm at 19888 Ga. 219 in West Point. For more information, call Warren Aldrich at (678) 860-8765 or e-mail him at wsa211rcboats@yahoo.com.

Becky Holland may be reached at bholland@ lagrangenews.com and (706) 884-7311, Ext. 229.