Ninety keelboats set sail at the start of the annual Michelob Cup regatta, hosted by the Outrigger Yacht Club (now the Peninsula Club marina). The winds were brisk, 15-20 knots, but nobody expected what was to come in the next hour. Witnesses reported seeing a very dark storm front moving in rapidly from the northwest. Suddenly a wall of rain struck the fleet and the windspeed leaped to over 50 knots-- several boats with anemometers reported gusts exceeding hurricane force. Nineteen crew members were thrown overboard, most without life jackets. When the storm had passed about 20 minutes later, two people (both excellent swimmers) had drowned and dozens of boats were badly damaged. This trajedy was followed in September 1989 by Hurricane Hugo, which destroyed numerous watercraft on the lake.