The Fools’ Rules Regatta will be held Saturday on the Town Beach at East Ferry in Jamestown.

THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / FRIEDA SQUIRES

The 31st annual Fools’ Rules Regatta will be held Saturday on the Town Beach at East Ferry in Jamestown (the rain date is Sunday). The cannon will be fired at 9 a.m. to begin construction of the “vessels.” Entrants are allowed two hours to construct a sailing craft on the beach, and these “vessels” must be constructed of non-marine items. The craft may be pre-constructed, but must be disassembled and built again on the beach. Races begin at 11 a.m. with the firing of the cannon to begin the Class 1 race. Vessels compete for first, second and third place in each class.

Classes are determined by the number of participants on each vessel: One, two, three, four, and five or more (Unlimited Class). Awards will recognize, among other things, ingenious design and worst naval architecture. Although the highlight of the regatta is often the Unlimited Class, whose vessels range from 15- to over 40-feet in length and are crewed by as many as a dozen or more hardy fools, the Class 1 participants, who in the past have included one child in a sandbox propelled by an umbrella, are equally engaging.

The event has always attracted regional attention, and participants and spectators come from far and wide. Past regattas have been highlighted in Yankee Magazine and the National Geographic’s World magazine. The event is open to anyone who likes to have fun and be foolish, and there is no entry fee.

For information, call 423-1492, or visit the Jamestown Yacht Club’s Web site: www.jyc.org for information and to be entertained by the rules.