Glance north or south while driving across Hales Ford Bridge on a sunny summer afternoon, and you may come to the conclusion that SML is a haven only for power boaters.

Cruisers, runabouts, deck boats, pontoons and PWCs crisscross the main channel carrying boatloads of people enjoying engine-induced breezes over their bows. These boaters are happiest on dead-calm days, when there's no wind-blown chop to add bumps to the ride.

OK, shift the scene a bit-- to mid-September through late October and to expanses of the Blackwater River from Bull Run up to Gills Creek, or along the Roanoke between Carter Island and Vista Pointe. Now the scene looks altogether different.

Boats are out there, all right, but unlike in summer, many will be wind driven, with towering masts and taught stays supporting sails that convert nature's fall breezes into brisk heeled-over tacks and exhilarating reaches. These boaters welcome the wind -- pray for it, in fact. It's what they've been eagerly awaiting all summer long.

Yes, fall and, to a lesser extent, early spring are sailing seasons on SML. Sailing enthusiasts are out in their element, savoring the power of wind-stretched mainsails, jibs and spinnakers.

Two active clubs serve sailors

Not surprisingly, Smith Mountain Lake's two primary sailing areas are near its two active sailing clubs: VISA (Virginia Inland Sailing Association) Yacht Club is headquartered on the Roanoke in the cove just above Bernard's Landing; BYRA (Blackwater Yacht Racing Association) sailors meet at Pelican Point Marina, where deep-water slips allow deep-draft keel boats to rest comfortably between runs beyond Christmas Tree Island into the mouth of Bull Run or the Blackwater's confluence with the Roanoke.

"The two clubs give SML sailors a nice choice of locations," said Pete Phillip, a new BYRA member who also operates Smith Mountain Lake Sailing School.

Many of SML's sailors are quite experienced.

"By the time they invest in a good sized cruising boat, they've typically got some years of sailing under their belts," said Gil Miekina, BYRA's vice commodore, who'll move up to the club's lead role next year. "Besides sailing here, several of our members do bare-boat [sail-it-yourself] Caribbean or Mediterranean charters in the off season."

BYRA sponsors a spring and fall racing campaign each year.

"We try for two races every other week of each season, 16 races in all, weather permitting," Miekina explained, "We also have two two-day sponsored regattas a year -- SunTrust in the spring, Jane-at-the-Lake in the fall. A Saturday evening dinner is part of each regatta, making for some great socializing."

Club member dues are $100 per year, and cover committee boat operation and maintenance, after-race refreshments, administrative costs and the small race campaign trophies given out at the annual awards banquet in November. Awards are based on a boat's best five finishes in each of the campaigns and are good naturedly -- but hotly -- contested.

BYRA's boats are divided into three categories to help keep the races fairly even. Fleet I is for serious racers, usually aboard relatively expensive one-design racing machines that almost all have spinnaker sails to fly off their bows when running downwind. Fleet II consists mainly of the faster cruisers plus a few less-competitive race boats. Fleet III is everyone else. The fleet designations, plus the use of nationally assigned handicap ratings to adjust clocked times around the course "give every skipper a shot at winning races," Miekina said.

Not all club members are boat owners. Some are fairly new to sailing and want to get better at it before considering the purchase of a race-worthy boat. Others prefer having no boat-related obligations (or expenses) besides participating on race days. Good crew members are highly valued and usually crew regularly on the same boat.

BYRA also welcomes race-day visitors. Volunteers who are energetic and good at following instructions can usually find skippers who need extra crew members. This dynamic has brought several new members and even eventual boat-owners into the club.

VISA experience: "priceless"

Cooler days mean the sailing action heats up for Roanoke River skippers, as well. Several dozen cruising boats occupy slips in the VISA harbor, tucked into a cove between R11 and R13, and there are some Hobie Cats and Sunfish kept on shore. VISA is also home to fleets of Lasers and Flying Scotts -- "one-design" boats that are versatile enough to serve as both learning platforms and respectable racers.

The Laser, for example, is an international class of sailing dingy that measures 13 feet in length, carries a single sail, is easy to rig and forgiving to handle, and is normally sailed by just one person. Weighing just 130 pounds, a Laser can be moved off the beach rack and into the water by a couple of teens working together.

Forest resident Ted Wagstaff, who's been sailing Lasers for more than 18 years, is passionate about one-design races.

"When I win, I'm the one who did it," he said. "There's no handicapping involved, since every boat in the race sails about the same."

Wagstaff also finds his Laser well suited to SML. He said it handles power boat wakes remarkably well and sails fine in light summer air.

"It's also very responsive," Wagstaff said. "It seems to jump on plane in a 15-knot breeze."

The same responsiveness makes Lasers ideal for teaching kids to sail.

"When they do something right, the kids feel the boat respond immediately" said Wagstaff, who's been involved with VISA's annual late-June Sail Camp for those same 18 years. "That reinforces the proper technique."

Wagstaff also owns a Flying Scott which, at 19 feet in length, "takes more wind to get moving but is a good stable day-sailer." With a relatively roomy, deep cockpit that can carry 6-8 people, it's suitable for family outings.

Flying Scotts, too, have their place in VISA's Junior Sailing program.

"Several kids can be aboard at once and they get to practice handling a jib and spinnaker," said Wagstaff, noting that junior sailing lessons are limited to children 8-12 years old who are sponsored by VISA members.

A new Flying Scott costs about $16,000, but good used boats can be found for considerably less. Weighing about 850 pounds, they are typically trailer kept but, Wagstaff said, "can handle the stress of bouncing around on a mooring."

VISA has a diverse group of sailboats in its cruising fleet, and Commodore Ron Cassell is enthusiastic about the club's racing program.

"There's a nice wide expanse of lake near Rabbit Island where we can have 10 to 12 boats on a course at once," he said. "Two races are normally held each racing Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m."

Cassell owns a Bristol 22 and enjoys sailing all during the year.

"Some of my best sailing has been during January's windy days when the motorboat activity is less and the elements of nature are more evident," he said.

Elfie Allman, VISA's rear commodore, notes that the club has been active at SML since 1965 and currently has 120 members. Membership costs $450 per year after a $500 initiation fee.

"We're working with Ferrum College to develop a student sailing program," said Allman, who also administers VISA's Junior Sailing Camps.

Anyone interested in getting involved with one-design sailing can contact VISA through its website, www.visayc.org.